Tiverton vs Penzance & Newlyn RFC – Match Report

Luck Not on Pirates’ Side

By Phil Westren

Tiverton 36 Penzance & Newlyn 16

Travelling to Tiverton for this second versus seventh Regional 2 South West contest at the Devon team’s Coronation Field, events proved somewhat frustrating for the Pirates.

Hopes were high to perform well, and to a good degree the team did, but with one or two strong ball carriers missing, and with injuries on the day not helping the cause, it was inevitably not easy.

The Pirates had lost 24-18 to ‘Tivvy’ back home in November, and it was close again for much of this encounter. However, the home team’s stronger opponents ultimately took advantage of how things panned out to record a deserved double.

Try-scorers for the Pirates were hooker Ted Hocking and wing Harvey Stone, both of whom had who got on the scoresheet in the team’s win at home to Okehampton seven days earlier. Taking over the kicking duties from hobbling fly-half Rhys Brownfield, scrum half Sam Carter landed two penalties.

Speaking after the match, Penzance & Newlyn’s head coach Murray Westren said:

“This was a fixture where several frustrating things didn’t quite go our way. It was unfortunate that we had some strong ball carriers unavailable, then we picked up injuries in the warm-up, plus we lost two players to nasty cuts in the first ten minutes.

“Overall, however, we did incredibly well to make it a proper contest, and for the first hour there was little in it. Unfortunately, at that point the energy needed drained out of us without fresh legs, and on a terrible pitch the game got away from us in the last quarter.

“Yes, it was a little disappointing, but the efforts from all the lads was fantastic as always and we will hopefully now use a week off to re- energise for a strong finish to the season.”

Penzance & Newlyn: 15 Jowan Wilding 14 Harvey Stone 13 Ben Wragg 12 Oscar Marr 11 Jack Keogh 10 Rhys Brownfield 9 Sam Carter; 1 Dec Prowse 2 Ted Hocking 3 Joe Best 4 Nick Nowell 5 Ben Martin 6 Tom Hutton 7 Wes Eddy 8 Stan Somers (captain).

Replacements: 16 Dylan Arthur 17 Connor Bick 18 Dan Rhys Evans.

📷Murray Westren