Pirates profit from Cov’s failure to execute

COVENTRY, hammered 73-24 by Ealing last week, shipped another six tries despite being much more competitive than the lopsided scoreline suggests.

They had nothing to show for a first half in which they carved out a number of scoring opportunities and Pirates punished the failure to take their chances with some sharp finishing.

Coventry director of rugby Rowland Winter said: “We created a lot of opportunities today, our problem was that we didn’t look after the ball. We had countless opportunities in their 22 but we weren’t smart enough and we weren’t clinical enough.

“Credit to Pirates, they played well but I don’t think they had to work exceptionally hard for some of their tries. We’re in a bit of a hole so we need to work hard and get better next week – we have the calibre of players to do that.”

After conceding a thirdminute try, Coventry took the game to the Pirates with some ambitious running rugby but failed to turn pressure into points.

In a helter-skelter start, AJ Cant and Rory Parata figured twice in the Cornish side’s first attack, which also involved Arwel Robson and, although Coventry’s scramble defence thwarted their efforts, the second assault opened them up before Tom Duncan charged in to open the scoring.

Having survived everything Coventry could throw at them, Pirates struck again when Robson’s pass enabled Carwyn Penny to inject the pace before Parata sent Alex O’Meara – an early replacement for Tommy Wyatt – racing in.

The visitors came again before half-time, spurning the chance of three goal

shots in favour of taps, but Pirates held out. Three minutes into the second half Parata was involved once more before Joe Elderkin kicked through for Cant to run in their third try.

After a lengthy hold-up before replacement prop Hayden King was stretchered off with a neck injury, Elderkin and Cant enabled Kessell to secure the bonus point.

With Pirates’ Alex Schwarz sin-binned impressive full-back Sam Aspland-Robinson finally scored Coventry’s lone try before Pirates struck twice more with Kessell and Matt Bolwell combining to put Patrick Schickerling over before Shae Tucker grabbed an interception to go 40 metres for the sixth.

“It wasn’t pretty.” admitted Pirates joint head coach Gavin Cattle. “We were patchy in the first half but improved in the second.”

REFEREE: Nick Wood ATTENDANCE: 1,897