Pirates 24 v Yarnbury 36
Team manager has put together a strong squad of 24 (16 forwards and 8 backs) for the merit table visit of Yarnbury. However 3 players (all backs dropped out on Saturday morning resulting in some imaginative selecting. The Pirates made the worst possible start when from the 1st play of the game, Yarnbury’s experienced centre broke the defensive line to score by the posts. The Pirate responded strongly with Rusty, Eddy and Ryan to the fore and from a scrum on the Yarnbury 22 a mighty show saw Ryan pick up and score. Irish added the conversion. 7 -7 15 mins. The Pirates continued to battle hard but some sloppy tackling led to 2 Yarnbury tries and a half time score of 7-21.
Another Yarnbury score just after the start of the second half looked to have taken the game from the Pirates, but with the Pirates gaining a foothold through their forwards and some spirited back play, Will Cudworth changed the direction of attack behind a scrum and crashed through to put the Pirates back in the game at 12-26. Soon after Ryan was stopped on the line by a high tackle which saw the Yarnbury lad carded and Pirates awarded a penalty try. 19-26. With the Pirates now on top and pressing for the equaliser, a move broke down on the Yarnbury 22 and their pacey winger picked up and raced away to score under the posts. Yarnbury kick a further penalty, before Rusty was found wide out and put in a delicate kick and touched down in the corner to make the final score Pirates 24 Yarnbury 36.
