Pirates Seek First Home Victory Against Chinnor: Friday Night Showdown at Mennaye Field

Cornish Pirates vs Chinnor in Championship Clash

The Cornish Pirates will welcome newly-promoted Chinnor to the Mennaye Field on Friday evening (kick-off 7.30pm) as both teams return to Championship league action following the conclusion of the Premiership Cup fixtures. This will be the first-ever senior-level meeting between the two sides, with the Pirates currently sitting eleventh in the table and Chinnor occupying sixth place.

Chinnor’s Strong Start

Chinnor, nicknamed the Villagers, earned promotion to the Championship at the end of last season. Led by Director of Rugby Nick Easter, a former Harlequins and England forward, Chinnor began their campaign with a commanding 57-24 victory over Cambridge in September. Easter, however, expressed his frustration at both Chinnor and Cambridge being excluded from this year’s Premiership Cup competition. In response, the two sides organised their own fixture, named the ‘Not the Premiership Cup’.

Pirates Make Changes for Friday

Still in search of their first home win of the season, the Cornish Pirates have made four changes to their starting XV following last weekend’s match against Hartpury. Billy Keast returns at loose-head prop, and Bruce Houston resumes his position at fly-half. Harry Yates partners Charlie McCaig in the centre, with Matt McNab moving out to the wing.

Joint head coach Alan Paver acknowledged the challenge posed by Chinnor, saying:
“Getting promoted into the Championship is a bit like entering the unknown, so credit to Chinnor for doing extremely well. I am sure they have a good balance of retained and freshly recruited players who will form tough opponents.”

Addressing the Pirates’ need for a victory, Alan added:
“At present, there is a lot of expectation, as we really need a win. If it comes, we’ll take it and be delighted, but we’ll have to be as best prepared as we can.”

Supporters’ Role Recognised

Alan also praised the understanding and support from the Pirates’ fans, stating:
“Something that has stood out is the understanding of our supporters. Knowledgeable, they are aware we are in a process of development, and they have, of course, witnessed such cycles before. Yes, there will be inevitable feelings of frustration at times, which we all have, but needed at present their support has shone through.”

Live Streaming Available

For fans unable to attend the game, the match will be live-streamed. Passes are available for £7, and supporters can watch the action online by securing their pass through this link.

Full Line-Up for Cornish Pirates

• Starting XV: 15 Will Trewin 14 Matt McNab 13 Charlie McCaig 12 Harry Yates 11 Arthur Relton 10 Bruce Houston 9 Cam Jones; 1 Billy Keast 2 Sol Moody 3 James French 4 Charlie Rice 5 Eoin O’Connor 6 Josh King 7 Will Gibson 8 Hugh Bokenham (captain).
• Replacements: 16 Harry Hocking 17 Billy Young 18 Jay Tyack 19 Matt Cannon 20 Tomi Agbongbon 21 Dan Hiscocks 22 Iwan Jenkins 23 Iwan Price-Thomas.

The match will be officiated by referee Alex Thomas, assisted by Calum Howard and Kevin Williams, with Paul Box as Office 4.

Match Day Details

The match day and match ball sponsor is The Logan Rock Inn, while the match day collection will support Man Down Cornwall.

Fans attending the match or tuning in via the live stream will be hoping to witness the Pirates secure a much-needed victory under the Friday night lights.