By Dick Straughan
October 5 2007

This Sunday`s eagerly anticipated clash between mighty south-west rivals the Cornish Pirates and Exeter Chiefs, is arguably the most mouth-watering clash anywhere in English club rugby this weekend. The Chiefs venture to Cornwall unbeaten so far in five outings this season whilst the Pirates only have one narrow defeat to Northampton Saints against them.

Any fixture between the Cornish Pirates and Exeter Chiefs is a keenly fought contest with no quarter asked or given. Sport thrives on rivalries such as these and Sunday`s clash will be no different.

The teams last met famously at Twickenham for the EDF National Trophy Final back in the unseasonal heat of April. Although a game for the purist it was an afternoon of high drama as the Chiefs wilted in the midday sun and the Pirates charged home to steal the spoils.

However, that was then and this is now. The Chiefs have started this season strongly and currently sit just two points adrift of leaders Northampton. They have already won at Brickfields against Plymouth Albion and will again be looking to assert themselves as the Number One side in the region.

Last season saw honours shared in the league with the Pirates comfortably running out winners by 37-20 at Camborne with two tries for Duncan Roke and a score apiece for Matt Evans and Stan McKeen. Whilst at Sandy Park in February the Chiefs squeezed home by 11-6. Despite a miserable start to their league campaign last time out the Chiefs rallied and finished above the Pirates at the end of April, something the Cornishmen will be keen to rectify during this campaign.

Much has been said and written of the Pirates early season progress but the last two victories against Pertemps Bees and Newbury Blues have heralded some impressive attacking play throughout the Pirates line-up. Head Coach Jim McKay has endured a frustrating opening month of the season with a squad hampered by injuries but can now welcome back stalwart prop Alan Paver to the starting line-up for Sunday. Also included is Canadian International scrum-half Ed Fairhurst, fresh from World Cup duties, and Brian Tuohy in place of Rhodri McAtee on the right wing.

Suddenly from having just twenty-one fit players McKay now has selection dilemmas brought about through fierce competition for places, but with the side otherwise unchanged from last weekend the Pirates team looks nicely balanced and a much sterner proposition than the side that triumphed at Twickenham.

Exeter have also improved vastly since then. Their Director of Rugby, Pete Drewett, expects to field prop Craig Dunlea in place of John Andress and Saul Nelson at hooker in place of Sam Blythe. Otherwise the team will be the same one that beat Bedford last Saturday.

With a crowd of over 5,000 expected at Camborne on Sunday and a good weather forecast at present the fixture should be another treat for those present. I expect home advantage to tell and the Pirates to win by five.

 

Teams:-

 

Pirates-  Thomas, Tuohy, Devlin, Winn, Koko, Steenson, Fairhurst, Paver, Kemp, Seal, Cumming, Beardshaw, Cracknell, Motusaga, Cowley (capt)

Replacements - Cook, Heard, Elloway, Hobson, Moore, Buckley, McAtee

 

Chiefs - Kingdom, Luff, Fatialofa M, Fatialofa J, Drauniniu, Gray, Stuart-Smith, Parkes, Nelson, Dunlea, Stevenson, Hanks, Slade, Miller, Baxter (capt)

Replacements - (from) Blythe, Andress, Kingsland, Willis, Johnson, Yapp, Barrett, Kelly, Breeze

 

Referee - M. Wilson (RFU)