Worcester Warriors Vs Cornish Pirates – Match Report

Spirited Finish Earns a Bonus Point

By Phil Westren

Worcester Warriors 40 – Cornish Pirates 24

Playing Worcester Warriors away on Saturday for the first time in a league match since January 2015, with a spirited and strong finish the Cornish Pirates ended the match with a well-deserved four-try bonus point.

It will be remembered that following a period of administration, entered in 2022, it was announced in April 2025 that former Premiership side Worcester Warriors would play in the new tier 2 league (‘Champ Rugby’) for the 2025–26 season, where they are presently in second place behind leaders Ealing Trailfinders.

For this latest fixture, the fourth-placed Cornish Pirates made just two changes in their starting line-up from the one that ran out at home to Richmond the previous weekend. Chester Ribbons, who had returned to action as a replacement in that match was this week selected to partner Joe Elderkin in the centre, whilst in the pack fit again hooker Morgan Nelson was named at hooker. As for the bench, two other players pleasingly given the all-clear to take a seat were Matt Cannon and Arwel Robson.

A busy start to the game included a mix up just five metres from Worcester’s line, which spoilt a likely try-scoring opportunity for the Pirates. However, after in the eleventh minute wing Ben Cambriani’s brilliant 50-22 kick took the Pirates within five metres of the Warriors’ line, it was flanker Josh King who scored in the right corner from a resultant catch and drive. Fly-half Louie Sinclair was luckless with his conversion attempt, but the Pirates had made an early mark in front of the big crowd.

📷Former 'Pirate' Tom Hendrickson is about to tackle Pirates' winger Matty Ward. - Photo Credit: Brian Tempest

Shortly after the restart, newly signed former Pirates and Exeter centre Tom Hendrickson took play to the visitors’ ‘22’. There was no initial joy, but with former Wales scrum half Lloyd Williams a busy performer, and full-back Louis Brown entering the line, it was the latter’s pass that found the hands of wing Will Trewin who ran near to the touchline to score an excellent unconverted try. He, of course, was another former Pirate in the home team’s selection, as was prop Billy Keast.

Approaching midway through the first half, Cornish Pirates’ full-back Iwan Price-Thomas was forced to leave the field injured, to be replaced by Arwel Robson, before the Pirates then took the lead once more. The increasingly impressive number 8 Tomi Agbongbon carried well and offloaded to skipper and scrum-half Dan Hiscocks, who chased his deft chip to score a try in the left corner to which fly-half Louie Sinclair this time added the extras.

Worcester though, made an immediate reply when, after yardage made by Brown and fly-half Will Reed, it was Uruguay winger Juan Gonzales who scored a try on the right to which Reed added the conversion.

The home team were now looking a little menacing, as confirmed when before halftime they added further converted tries through athletic number 8 Khalik Kareem and lock forward Tim Anstee, which gave to them a 26-12 lead.

Into the second forty, with the floodlights now on to give a golden glow about Sixways, there were two terrific runs witnessed, first by Worcester’s former England under 20s and Fiji prop Tim Hoyt, and then again by Agbongbon for the Pirates.

The Warriors, however, extended their lead when following a long lineout throw it was Reed who scooped the ball up to score a try at the posts to which he also added with ease the extra two points.

Kareem would next score a fine converted try to make it 40-12, with surely a 50 plus points mark in sight. Perhaps, but it didn’t work out like that, because the Pirates showed admirable determination and resilience to finish the match strongly and, in the process, earn their deserved four-try bonus point.

Centre Ribbons delivered an inside pass to enable Hiscocks to run in his second converted try of the afternoon – his ninth try in the league this season – and a super cross field kick from Robson saw replacement Harry Yates rise and win the aerial battle to deliver the important bonus-point

📷Pirates' backrower Tomi Agbongbon once again impressed. - Photo Credit: Brian Tempest

The loss for the Pirates ended a run of six games undefeated, and commenting at the end of the encounter, Cornish Pirates’ coach Joe Walsh said:

“Credit to Worcester, who were the better team on the day after executing their plan well. Having said that, I think on reflection our plan also went well but it was the level of execution that let us down at times especially at big moments in the game, which is something we’ll be having a look at ahead of a tough block of games coming up.

“On Worcester’s artificial pitch we knew it would provide a fast track, and their ability to create half line breaks and offloads impressed, as was their upping the aerial battle.

“There are though those things we can work on, so we’ll be looking at ourselves to see what we need to do to achieve more good results.

“As a group we work hard and feel we can perform better, understanding too that at the end of the day Worcester are obviously a very good side. Next Friday we are back home on the Mennaye versus Bedford Blues, so it’ll be up to us to show a positive response and at the same time maintain our recent good home record.”

Worcester Warriors:   15 Louis Brown 14 Juan Gonzales 13 Tom Hendrickson 12 James Short 11 Will Trewin 10 Will Reed 9 Lloyd Williams; 1 Billy Keast 2 Will Biggs 3 Tim Hoyt 4 James Tyas 5 Tim Anstee 6 Matt Kvesic (captain) 7 Thabo Ndimande 8 Khalik Kareem.

Replacements:   16 Jasper Spandler 17 Cam Miell 18 Fraser Balmain 19 Obinna Nkwocha 20 Tom Cowan 21 Will Lane 22 Tiff Eden 23 Austin Wallis.

Cornish Pirates:   15 Iwan Price-Thomas 14 Matty Ward 13 Chester Ribbons 12 Joe Elderkin 11 Ben Cambriani 10 Louie Sinclair 9 Dan Hiscocks (captain); 1 Billy Young 2 Morgan Nelson 3 Alfie Petch 4 Charlie Rice 5 Alfie Bell 6 Josh King 7 Jack Forsythe 8 Tomi Agbongbon.

Replacements:   16 Matt Pritchard 17 Alessandro Heaney 18 James French 19 Matt Cannon 20 Rory Suttor 21 Will Rigelsford 22 Arwel Robson 2 Harry Yates.

Scorers:

Worcester Warriors – Kareem (2) Trewin, Gonzales, Reed, Anstee; cons: Reed (5).

Cornish Pirates – tries: Hiscocks (2), King, Yates; cons: Sinclair (2).

Referee:   Ben Wood

Assistants:  Jack Sutton & Holly Wood

📷Dan Hiscocks scores the game's opening try. - Photo Credit: Brian Tempest