A View from JJ’s Bank

Caldy 1st xv result – Caldy 3 – 22 Cornish Pirates  
Match report – Luke Jarmyn, The Rugby Paper

Caldy……… 3pts
Penalty: Barker 46

Cornish Pirates ………..22pts
Tries: Relton 6, 61, Hocking 59
Conversions: Houston 7, 62
Penalty: Houston 30

Images – Barry Macdonald

Arthur Relton scored two tries as Cornish Pirates battled through Tundra-like conditions to seal back-to-back wins for the first time this season to move into the top half of the Championship table.

Despite Storm Darragh putting the Wirral under an amber weather warning amid gusts of 65mph plus winds, the Penzance-side dealt superbly with the 350-mile trip and all that was thrown at them by basement outfit Caldy.

Pirates co-head coach Gavin Cattle said: “It’s a good win. The biggest factor was the conditions. We won the toss and decided to play with the wind behind us. We gave a lot of penalties away; it became an arm wrestle as Caldy really controlled field position.

“I told the boys at half-time they needed to front up as the kicking option was null and void, we played the momentum game and we managed the second half far better.”

Despite playing into the wind, Caldy quickly got deep into Pirates territory and seemed to have the early advantage. But the visitors won a turnover and full-back Will Trewin broke through the line before outside centre Charlie McCaig chipped over the remaining defenders, with the ball gathered by winger Relton who dashed in.

Caldy had plenty of possession but were unable to make real inroads into Pirates territory, even when Pirates lock Matthew Cannon saw yellow on 26 minutes after collapsing the maul due to his side’s accumulation of penalties.

The visitors came through the yellow card period the better, winning a penalty on the floor on the half-hour mark for fly-half Bruce Houston to score a 30-metre penalty.

Playing with the wind Caldy had the advantage after half-time, and after a Pirates defender was pinged for playing off his feet, Lewis Barker kicked a penalty to get the Cheshire side on the board.

Pirates defence were working wonders, particular once Dan Hiscocks came on at No.9, before they hit Caldy with a three-minute purple patch. Hooker Harry Hocking dotted down off the back of a lineout drive from 10 metres out in the right corner.

Then a turnover and Hiscocks half-break inside their own half gave Pirates an opportunity and after several phases Trewin set up a two-on-one for Relton to slide over under the posts and seal the win.

Caldy coach Matt Cairns said: “We were unlucky in the first half playing against the wind, we controlled the ball but missed a couple of opportunities and gave too many penalties away in the second half.”

Image – Barry Macdonald

CALDY: Barlow 5, Royle 6 (Kilcourse 68, 5), Ma’asi-White 5 (Bedlow 40, 5), Wilkinson 6, Cartmill 8, Barker 6, Wynn 6 (Murray 64, 5); Aigbokhae 7 (Rushton 60, 5), Gallagher 6 (Hearn 60, 5), Weatherby 7 (Higginson 60, 5), Stevenson 5 (Riley 48, 5), Sproston 5, Olyott 6, Woodman 7 (Ridgway 64, 5), JJ Dickinson (c) 6

PIRATES: Trewin 9, Relton 8 (Price-Thomas 71, 5), McCaig 7, Yates 6 (Ribbons 70, 5), McNab 6, Houston 6.5, C Jones 6 (Hiscocks 55, 7); Young 8 (Michel 78, 4), Hocking 8 (Moody 75, 4), Tyack 5 (French 18, 7), Rice 5 (Pearson 55, 5), Cannon 6, King 6 (Agbongbon 66, 5), Gibson 6, Bokenham (c) 7

Referee : Jonathan Cook    Attendance: 324   
The Rugby Paper Star player  Will Trewin – Cornish Pirates

 u17s Junior Colts result – Caldy 48 – 0 Whitchurch
Match report – Paul Clark
“In another barnstorming performance, the Junior Colts braced the tail end of Storm Darragh to rain in 8 tries to beat Whitchurch 48-0 in their latest NW League A encounter. Bringing pace and power to all areas of the pitch, the lads put together their most comprehensive performance of the season.

Images – Barry Macdonald

From the off, the forwards were dominant in the set piece and were battering rams in the loose, with Whitchurch struggling to contain the pack’s surging runs. Caldy were quickly into their stride and with the wind at the backs were soon 3 tries up in the first half and by half time were leading 31-0. Forwards had brought their power to bear through 2 tries from Hayes-Green and 1 try from MoM Oscar Song, complemented by 2 backs tries from Arista and Waring.

Second half was a little tougher up the hill and into the wind, but the lads scored a further three running tries through the backs of Pennington, A Jones and Arista. Perhaps most pleasing to see was the lads bringing the hard work in training on pods and off-loading to the fore. The lads also eradicated their off-side penalty issues from the previous game. All 17 lads were superb and we look forward to seeing them continue to enjoy their rugby and keep developing as a team. Credit to Whitchurch who dodged fallen trees to get to the Wirral and battled to the very last.

The Junior Colts remain 2nd in the League and welcome Stockport this Sunday in a 2nd vs 3rd battle. Please come and support the lads next Sunday kick off 12:30 !”

Images – Barry Macdonald

Rugby coming up next weekend : 
Caldy 1st xv away at Castle Park Saturday 14th December
The Championship
Doncaster Knights v Caldy kick off 2.00pm

Caldy 2nd xv home at Paton Field Saturday 14th December
Halbro NW Bathtime Premier League
Caldy v Sedgley Park kick off 2.00pm 

Caldy Rav3rs away at Leverhulme playing fields Saturday 14th December
Halbro NW The Bay Travel Div 3 West 
Port Sunlight v Caldy kick off 2.00pm

Caldy u17s at Paton Field Sunday 15th December
Halbro NW Junior Colts League A  
Caldy v Stockport kick off 12.30pm