St Ives 14 - Pirates Amateurs 20

Played at sunny St Ives on Saturday, this local derby affair in the Counties 1 Tribute Western West league provided the expected competitive contest. It was close, as the scoreline indicates, but having the edge it was the visiting Pirates Amateurs who deserved the spoils.

St. Ives’ fly-half Grant Thirlby opened the scoring with a successful penalty strike, and he would slot two more in the first forty. However, it was pressure applied by the Pirates that led to kick at goal opportunities for their full-back Ben Wragg who, with his reliable boot, slotted four off the tee. Also, with a try scored by wing Rhodri McAtee, it gave the ‘Ams’ a 17-9 haltime lead.

In fine conditions one expected the game to open and flow in the second period, but for one reason and another this just didn’t materialise. An early try scored by home scrum-half James Marsden narrowed the deficit, and there was a fifth well struck penalty by Wragg, but after that the scoring surprisingly dried up, as the Pirates held out for their deserved victory.

Commenting after the game, Pirates Amateurs’ head coach Murray Westren said: “This was an excellent derby match win away from home. We played some great rugby in the first half, when we felt very much on top.

“In the second half, however, the game lost its flow, becoming very stop start and disjointed, so it was of credit to the boys that they thankfully showed an admirable amount of maturity to see the game out.”