Caldy Vs Cornish Pirates - Championship Rugby

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Graham armitage President’s welcome

A very warm welcome to you all today including our visitors from Cornish Pirates who have made the long trip north for the return fixture this season, having given Caldy a lesson down in Penzance last December winning by the clear margin of 49 points to 22. Nothing quite went right that day for the away side who made numerous mistakes and suffered a number of injuries in the process. Credit to Pirates though who took full advantage although Caldy’s Will Robinson had the final say with a sensational 80 m solo try in the last few minutes of the game. Last weekend Caldy travelled down to the Richmond Athletic Ground this time to face a London Scottish side looking to move away from bottom place in the league table. The game started brightly with Tom Sanders scoring in the first few minutes before Scottish turned the tables with an astute kicking game to build up a lead they never relinquished until the last minute when Caldy deservedly scored a converted try

to level the scores 33 – 33 at the final whistle. It was yet another game when too many penalties were punished by the opposition although in fairness Caldy cannot be faulted for their never say die attitude outscoring the home team by 5 tries to 3 and taking 3 league points home in the process. Our visitors today have proved their credentials over many years of playing Championship rugby for the last 20 years. It all started back with two rival clubs in Penzance (1876) and Newlyn (1894), who eventually merged in 1945 with Pirates as a nickname. Penzance & Newlyn subsequently produced a number of international players including Stack Stevens who played for the Lions circa 1970. A period in the doldrums resulted in them playing in the Cornwall & Devon league by the advent of league rugby around 1987, but a resurgence ended up with promotion to National 1 ( one league below the Premiership ) by 2003 with games against sides including Bristol. By 2005 a

President’s welcome

Continued...

further push for promotion resulted in a change of name to Cornish Pirates with a move to a new base at Camborne for the next 5 years. 2010 saw a return to the Mennaye Field in Penzance and between 2018 and 2022 they have finished no lower than 5th. in the Championship. In 2021 they probably had their most famous victory beating Saracens at home in the league.

As mentioned previously Cornish Pirates are on a good run and were in second place in the league recently so this will undoubtedly be another tough encounter, but also another opportunity for Caldy to cause a further upset with home advantage. Last year the win against Pirates in the snow started a fantastic winning run a few weeks later for the home team so let’s hope for more of the same this year. We welcome their officials joining us for lunch today and whatever the result hope that both they and the Pirates squad and supporters enjoy the trip today on this their second visit to

Paton Field.

Off the pitch work is still progressing behind the scenes with our planning application to upgrade the clubhouse; our thanks go to those involved in these protracted negotiations in the hope that we can eventually produce a facility worthy of the standard of rugby that the club has achieved in terms of league status. In the interim we are indebted to our sponsors and financial backers whose generosity in the past has not only led to our success but whose continued support in the absence of meaningful funding from the rugby authorities has made this financially possible. Our thanks must also go to our team of ground staff, the Last of the Summer Wine (LOSW for short), who freely give enormous amounts of their time to produce and maintain the standard of pitches that we all possibly take a little too much for granted. We should all appreciate the wonderful aspect and playing

President’s welcome

facilities that the club now has to offer together which even with our restricted social facilities we can continue to enjoy. I need to mention the considerable contribution of all those involved in the day to day operation and management of the club including our bar, catering and other members of staff, particularly on match days such as today and without whom the club could not effectively function. Thanks also to all of our members, supporters and spectators for your incredible support again this season, your contribution cannot be underestimated and is an essential part of our effort to maintain our status going forward. Today's game is another opportunity to get fully behind our team and give the players the positive vocal support and encouragement they deserve. We are always in need of further assistance in terms of sponsorship or help in whatever form and if you wish to become a member/purchase a season ticket or assist us in any other way

please contact one of our officials or refer to our website for further details.

Finally, I sincerely hope that you all enjoy your visit to Caldy today, come win lose or draw, and that we can all fully appreciate the fantastic level of rugby now on offer at Paton Field. Let’s celebrate this wonderful game of ours in the spirit intended, make new friends and renew old friendships and hopefully share a few drinks in the traditional way after the game.

Graham Armitage

Today’s Opponents Cornish Pirates 3 to watch!

WILL BRITTON

Lock

Age: 27

Height: 196cm

Weight: 117kg

It was confirmed in May 2023, that for a second year running Swindonborn Will had signed a one-year contract with the Cornish Pirates. In his first season, as all but an ever-present squad member, he had made 25 appearances for the club.

Will’s first rugby was played for his local club Marlborough, and then later at Newbury. He attended Dauntsey’s School in Wiltshire, from where he became involved with Bath Academy for two years, before deciding to go to Bath University.

Graduating from ‘Uni’ in 2018, where he had captained the BUCS Super Rugby team in back-to-back semi-finals and studied Sports and Social Sciences, Will spent two years in the Senior Academy at Bath, was dual registered with Yorkshire Carnegie in 2018/19, and then at Doncaster Knights where he played during the shortened ‘Covid’ season of 2020/21.

Signing next for Gloucester in 2021, picking up a long-term injury in pre-season proved frustrating, although game time was ultimately enjoyed when he was loaned to Hartpury for whom he featured both in the Championship and the Championship Cup.

Today’s Opponents Cornish Pirates 3 to watch!

John STEVENS (C)

Flanker

Age: 30

Height: 185cm

Weight: 95kg

Educated at Bolitho School and then Truro School, John is a past recipient of the ‘Mischler Memorial Cup’, awarded for his contribution when he played for the Cornwall Schools under 18s side. John’s success delighted the then Chairman and President of the Old Truronians Association, the late Roger Harris, as the former Cornwall hooker played many games for the county alongside John’s father.

After four seasons with the Pirates, during which John also enjoyed regular match action playing for Redruth, he was frustratingly injured for much of the 2017/18 campaign. However, when back to full fitness he really made his mark and was selected as a regular starter in a Cornish Pirates shirt. He was also presented with the club’s ‘Most Improved Player’ award.

Skilful and as tough as they come, John continued to impress in the seasons that followed, and skippering the team with pride during the 2022/23 campaign he took his overall games tally to 121. Also, at the end of the season awards, he was presented both the ‘John Stirling Memorial Cup for Commitment’ and ‘The President’s Cup’ for being, in the opinion of the club’s President, the most outstanding contributor on the field during the season.

Today’s Opponents Cornish Pirates 3 to watch!

TomGEORGIOU

Centre

Age: 21

Height: 188cm

Weight: 93kg

It was confirmed ahead of the 2023/24 season that exciting prospect Tom would be one of four players joining the Cornish Pirates on loan from Ealing Trailfinders.

Having first started playing rugby, aged 7, for his local club Old Rishworthians, Tom was later educated at Crossley Heath Grammar School and then Woodhouse Grove School for sixth form. He has played for and is a graduate of Brunel University, whilst besides representing Ealing Trailfinders has featured for both Blackheath and London Scottish.

Influences in his career to date include his parents, to whom he is extremely grateful for the sacrifices they have made, and the support given him when growing up. His dad Chris and uncle Jason are both former Yorkshire players, the latter being a member of the team that lost to Cornwall in the memorable 1991 County Championship final played at Twickenham, whilst two cousins, Christian and Dominic Georgiou, have both played for Cyprus.

The caldy Catchup

Plenty of content to catch up on this week on our socials, tune in to hear interviews from both Captain JJ and Nathan Rushton!

A View From The Bank

CALDY GIRLS GOING FROM STRENGTH TO STRENGTH

iThe girls U18's section is going from strength to strength after a narrow defeat to a very well drilled Crewe and Nantwich Ba baas team who put in a superb performance and got a deserved win. A great bounce back following their defeat from 2 weeks ago. I’m sure the Caldy girls will bounce back in similar fashion for their next fixture

That FridayFeelingJohn Lyon

Meteorologically speaking

Friday the 1st of March is the first day of spring in the Northern Hemisphere’s temperate zone. This should be welcome news for Cornish Pirates who must make the 380 mile trip to Paton Field and will hope to play in more favourable conditions than they encountered in their first ever visit to Paton Field in December 2022. On that day Caldy’s volunteer force who cleared the lines of snow to allow that game to be played were rewarded with a narrow win for the Ravers. Of course, although winter is officially over, the Wirral does have its own microclimate so come Saturday Spring may not have sprung at Paton Field.

Caldy’s Director of Rugby Gareth Davies warned that the current Cornish Pirates squad has kicked on from last season and he views them as one of the strongest squads to come to Paton Field so far. “The Pirates are a good well coached side playing some excellent and attractive rugby. In this season’s reverse fixture, they gave us a drubbing down at the Menaye. As a benchmark to show just how good they are, if they win the game in hand they have over Coventry and Doncaster they will be in 2nd place in the Championship. Our home support is hugely important to us, and it makes a massive difference to the lads. If we are to lower the Pirate’s flag on Saturday, we will need as enthusiastic and

That FridayFeeling

John Lyon

loud a support as the Wirral can muster.”

Davies expressed his disappointment that the Ravers didn’t leave the Richmond Athletic Ground with a five-point haul last Saturday and he was frustrated at the number of penalties that Caldy conceded. “Ben Jones’ brilliant touch line conversion was the last play of the game and got us the draw and 3 league points but out scoring London Scottish 5 tries to 3 should have resulted in 5 league points. Our lack of discipline and their 100% kicker cost us. We cannot afford to be as generous to the Pirates and expect to get anything out of the game.”

Caldy’s 2nd XV have a Cotton Traders Premier League fixture at home against Sandbach with a 2 pm kick off and this week there is a bit more at stake for the 2nd XV squad than just league points. On the following week, Saturday 9th March, Caldy’s 2nd team take on Jersey RFC away at their St

That FridayFeeling

John Lyon

Peter’s ground.

Jersey RFC marched through level 7 winning every game and currently lead level 6 by 16 league points with only one loss this season. Ahead of next week’s fixture Jersey have enquired whether Caldy’s 2nd XV are still unbeaten. The Channel Island side are obviously keen to be the team that halts this record breaking 90 game winning streak. Accordingly, this Saturday, Sandbach will have every motivation to be the team that puts a spoke in the work and ends this remarkable unbeaten run. Every player in Andrew Soutar’s squad will be pushing hard to claim a place on the plane to Jersey and will be determined to go to

the Channel Island with their unbeaten run intact. Sooty’s match day squad for the Sandbach game has been boosted by the return from injury by pacy wingers Louis Beer and Will Robinson and powerful no 8 Luke Cox.

The game against Sandbach which kicks off at 2.00 pm at Paton Field promises to be a compelling contest. The 1st of March, is an important day for the Welsh. So, if you bump into honorary Welshman Barrie Pilgrim today, please say “Dydd Gŵyl Dewi Hapus.” If you don’t know Barrie, he will be easy to recognise because he will surely have a giant leek, or daffodil pinned to his blazer.

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John Mallon Match Report

BEN Jones converted the last kick of the game to secure a 33-33 draw for Caldy against London Scottish in a great advert for Championship rugby.

The game was fast paced and it was Caldy who started the better of the two sides, scoring in the opening minutes of the game, through a try from Tom Sanders after some persistence on the five metre line. Scottish first points came through a penalty which gave the home side the belief to take the game to Caldy and extended their lead through a try from Ioan Rhys Davies.

Dan Nutton scored a second for Scottish five minutes later after good play up the field opened up the space and the lead was extended. Three minutes later Matt Gallagher went over for Caldy's second of the game.

After a number of penalties for both sides, Scottish kicked to the corner and from the resulting lineout, Harry Sheppard was able to scramble the ball over the line..

Match Report

On the stroke of half time, Caldy managed to work the ball up the field and the ball got to Joe Sproston, who went over, to bring Caldy within five points at half time.

Into the second half and Scottish extended their lead in the opening minutes with two penalties as the game started to get tighter, but with Caldy having the better of the play, which allowed Mike Barlow in to score the Bonus point try on the hour mark.

Caldy had control of the game from that moment onwards only allowing Scottish to score a single penalty for the rest of the game. The home side's defence held strong and repelled a number of good Caldy moves although the Wirral side were unable to break them down.

With the clock in overtime, Caldy won a scrum on the Scottish five metre line and the ball was able to be driven over the line by Ollie Hearn giving Jones the opportunity to tie the match.

John Mallon

Match Report

John Mallon

After the match, Director of Rugby, Gareth Davies, thanked the large contingent of supporters who made the trip down to the capital and said he hopes to see them against Cornish Pirates again next Saturday.

Caldy's next match is at home as Cornish Pirates make the long trip to the Wirral. Supporters are reminded that the game will kick off at 3pm

Caldy 23/24 season

Caldy ReportCoaches

Matt Cairns

It’s great to be back at home after a trip to London where we feel disappointed not to have come away with maximum points as we feel we were certainly good enough to do that last Saturday. It seems that a lack of concentration has cost us in this and the Bedford game and we have been working on 80 minute performances which are required at this level to win games.

This week we welcome the

Pirates who have been on great form and look to have deed to their team and certainly keep improving. They are a big physical side who have the benefit of being full time. We will have to match this 1 to 15 and make sure our discipline in the middle of the pitch is on point.

There are some big games coming and we need all the support from the bank that we can get.

Gareth Davies Matt Cairns

Andrew soutar Richard Vasey

WEEKEND This

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We hope you enjoy the game

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