THE Cornish Pirates head to Caldy on Saturday for round nine of the RFU Championship (2pm).
On their first-ever visit to Caldy’s Paton Field – which was also the first ever meeting between the two sides – the Pirates last month won 26-7 in the Championship Cup.
The Wirral-based Caldy side, nicknamed ‘The Ravers’, proved doughty opponents on their own patch and the Pirates are aware not to take anything for granted in this eleventh versus seventh clash, as they go in search of their fifth league match win of the season.
Changes from the selected starting XV that ran out against Ealing Trailfinders last Saturday sees Carwyn Penny named at full-back, with AJ Cant moving to the left wing in place of the injured Arthur Relton, whilst in the pack Olly Adkins, due to make his first league start of the season, is selected at loose-head prop and Rusiate Tuima returns at number eight.
Speaking ahead of the team’s trip up north, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Gavin Cattle said: “Back to league action for a second week running, we expect Caldy to have a strengthened side to the one we played in the cup, including the Dickinson brothers. Number eight ‘JJ’ is long-serving talismanic leader and experienced lock Sam has in the past achieved Premiership honours with Northampton Saints.
“We also expect an emotional fight-back following their narrow defeat against London Scottish last weekend but having said that we are in the same boat. A lot of emotion was put into the Ealing game and having fallen short on the day we have to focus on achieving results that will hopefully start to see us ultimately climb the league table.”
Cornish Pirates: 15 Carwyn Penny 14 Callum Sirker 13 Tommy Wyatt 12 Joe Elderkin 11 AJ Cant 10 Arwel Robson 1 Ruaridh Dawson; 1 Olly Adkins 2 Will Crane 3 Matt Johnson 4 Cory Teague 5 Will Britton 6 Alex Everett 7 John Stevens (captain) 8 Rusiate Tuima.
Replacements: 16 Max Norey 17 Marlen Walker 18 Harvey Beaton 19 Josh Williams 20 Will Gibson 21 Tom Kessell 22 Harry Bazalgette 23 Shae Tucker.