WHO JERSEY
ARE FACING
Cornish
Pirates Rugby Club.
Founded: 1870
Home Ground:
The Mennaye
Head Coach:
Ian Davies
Last season:
Sixth
Last season:
A largely
disappointing season began well, winning away at St Peter, and home to Plymouth
before a poor spell saw them lose against Bristol, Newcastle and Scottish and
only draw with struggling Doncaster. Beating fancied Leeds preceded a second
drawn match this time against Moseley. The topsy turvy season continued with an
eight try demolition of Rotherham before another poor performance gave Bedford
a 32-6 win at Goldington Road. High flying Nottingham and for the second time
Plymouth were both narrowly beaten before Bristol succumbed 32-17 on New Year’s
day, what was perhaps the best display of the season so far. With a play-off
spot well within their grasp, a shocking run of form then saw the Pirates lose
to Scottish, Newcastle, Leeds, Bedford, Rotherham, Nottingham and Munster in
the cup, with only wins against Moseley and Doncaster before the end of season
victory against Jersey. With only ten league wins it was a season of transition
for the Cornishmen building for 2013-14. Despite this poor end of season form, Canadian
International Matt Evans finished the season as top try scorer with 14, and
with Josh Lewsey coming in as CEO and performance director the Pirates looked
set fair for a good season.
This season
so far:
Sadly for
the Pirates Lewsey lasted only a few months in post before joining up with the
Welsh national side. On the field the Pirates could not have asked for a
tougher start to the season with a tie against pre-season favourites Bristol,
at the same venue where Jersey was undone by Plymouth. The Sky TV cameras
having witnessed a belting first game were not disappointed in the second,
where the Pirates sneaked a 23-21 victory. Back on home turf, and one of the
few remaining Friday night matches at the Mennaye, saw the Cornishmen take only
a losing bonus point, having been sunk by Leeds. Morale boosting bonus point
wins over struggling Ealing and Moseley followed, before the British and Irish
Cup interrupted proceedings. In the same group as Jersey, a comfortable home
win over Ulster and then an eight try destruction of Ayr away has put the
Pirates top of the group, and all set for a double header against Jersey later
this month that will go a long way to deciding who wins the group. Back in the league
a vastly more experienced and streetwise London Welsh side ripped the Pirates
apart, 41-6, showing what a years experiance at the top table of English rugby
will give a side. Scottish then took the opposite trip west where the Pirates
got back on track with a 16-8 win, before last weekends 16-13 win against
struggling Bedford. Head Coach Ian Davies said ‘we
are developing as a squad with some of the new boys adapting really well. Hard
work is the name of the game’
Previous
with Jersey:
With a lot
of expectation and a side very much used to winning in the National Leagues, it
was a wake-up call to the home faithful when the Pirates kicked off Jerseys
first year in the Championship. A Matt Evans hat-trick in a 20-6 Jersey defeat
gave hope for the future, but a stark reality check that any mistakes at this
level will be duly punished. Injuries to key players, including Guy Thompson,
hindered the Jersey challenge and the game will not be remembered well by Grant
Pointer who dislocated his shoulder playing for today’s opposition. The return
match will be remembered for several reasons. Having secured another season in
the Championship the week before beating Doncaster, Jersey could relax and
enjoy the first ever live streamed rugby match on social media network,
Twitter. With the Pirates out of contention for a play-off spot, both sides
were able to play good entertaining rugby, with Jersey showing that they could
and possibly should, have finished higher up the table. A cracking start saw
the Islanders up by 11 at the interval with a try from Ed Dawson and a penalty
try, aided by a stunning performance by viewers and sponsors man of the match
Thompson. Pirates rallied with a brace of tries and four second half penalties
to put them out of sight, but Le Bourgeois gave the travelling fans something
to take home with a try and conversion to leave the final score 28-24 to
Pirates.
Head Coach Ian Davies said this
week, ‘Jersey over there will be really tough as they'll go all out to show
that they've quickly recovered from their defeat at London Scottish last
weekend. A few ex Pirates will also no doubt been keen to perform against their
former club.’ The first of
four matches between the sides this season and with another two matches before
mid December, these sides will get to know each other very well. After four
straight league defeats, in a period where they have had a point’s deduction, and
after a morale sapping defeat last weekend against a powerful London Scottish, Jersey
desperately need to get back on track. Facing a Pirates side who sit in fifth place
(despite them only scoring 11 points more than Jersey), will be far from easy,
and even with several former Pirates in the ranks, a big performance is
required to get a win this afternoon, to distance the Islanders from bottom
spot.
ONES TO WATCH
Kieran
Hallett
DoB: 2nd June
1985
Height: 5' 11" (1.79m)
Weight: 13st 12lbs (88kg)
Position: Fly-half
Signed at
the beginning of last season, Hallett began his career at the Northampton
Saints Academy before moving to the Bedford Blues making his debut at 19. From
there he moved to Ulster and then onto Plymouth Albion where he was club
captain for two season. Next up was Nottingham, where he also finished his
degree in Geography.
In his first
season for the Pirates Kieran ended up as the club's leading points scorer. In
total he amassed 221 points in 26 appearances, including 154 in the
Championship. He featured in a couple non-cap internationals for Ireland under
19’s, and for the under 21’s in the Six Nations, before the 2006 Junior World Cup held in
France, where he was the third highest points scorer in the tournament.
Presently the
clubs top scorer this season with 58 points having played and scored in every
game this season.
Tom Kessell
DoB: 21st
Feb 1990
Height: 6' (1.83m)
Weight: 13st
4lbs (84kg)
Position: Scrum-half
Local lad Kessell actually started his rugby career with the
Pirates back in 1995, playing for the club's youngest mini-rugby team, but
moved away from the area joining Bath. Several seasons in the lower leagues
followed before he joined Championship Plymouth. He signed for the Cornish
Pirates in April, 2011, making 54 appearances and scoring nine tries. Selection
for the England Counties team saw Tom tour Canada in 2010, when he started in
two of the three games, with tries in all three.
With four tries already this season, including three in the
last two matches, Kessell’s turn of pace has also seen him play on the wing,
but scrum half is where his damage is done.
Jake Parker
DoB: 18th Oct 1990
Height: 6' 2” (1.88m)
Weight: 16st 3lbs (103 kg)
Position: Back-row
Truro born Parker was one of three
Loughborough Students to sign for the Cornish Pirates this summer. On moving to
Loughborough, Jake helped the Students side gain promotion to National 1 in
2012, and then helped them consolidate their place at the level in the
following season.
At Loughborough he studied Sports
Science with Management, and then a Masters in International Management. During
his four seasons there, the head coach at Loughborough, Dave Morris, described
Jake as being one of the most selfless players he'd had the privilege of
coaching. Equally comfortable at Flanker or at Eight, he has represented both
England under 16’s and 18’s. Parker is another young Pirate with a very
exciting future.
Craig Holland
DoB: 5th
Oct 1991
Height: 5'
11” (1.79m)
Weight: 12st
9lbs (80kg)
Position: Full-back/wing
Another former Loughborough Student joining the club this
season, Holland actually played when the students made the trip to Jersey for
the National Two play-off match in 2011.
Holland learnt his rugby at Brighton College in Sussex,
playing alongside former Pirate and now adopted Islander, Ben Maidment.
Joining Loughborough University in 2010 to study Sports
Science, his time there enabled him to develop as a rugby player and with over
70 first team matches he scored 74 tries, helping Loughborough to achieve
promotion to, and then survival in National One. During this time he also
represented the English Students side.
An outstanding
athlete, Holland has also performed to a high standard at both cricket and
athletics at school and youth age groups for Sussex and English Schools
athletics.
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