THE Cornish Pirates made it four wins on the bounce with a convincing 52-0 victory at home to Cambridge.

The Pirates were without Chester Ribbons, Arthur Relton, Arwel Robson and Alfie Petch due to injury with their places going to Harry Yates, Ben Cambriani, Louie Sinclair and James French.

Debutant Zack Wimbush, who is dual-registered with Exeter Chiefs, was named on the bench, as was recent Australian signing Angus Mawson.

The hosts got off to a decent start and were rewarded nine minutes in. Attacking down the left and then a deft nudge by Yates saw skipper Dan Hiscocks follow up and dive to score the game’s opening try, to which Sinclair added the extra two points.

The visitors had their moments including moments including a 50-22, but were undone on 20 minutes.Hiscocks kicked well out of hand from halfway, and it was wing Matty Ward who chased and gathered the ball to touch it down at the Newlyn gate corner. Sinclair’s conversion attempt was again on the money.

Approaching half-time, the Pirates handling continued to impress with Ward crossing to the left of the Newlyn posts before fellow wingman Cambriani, also got in on the act with an unconverted try.

To their credit, Cambridge applied considerable pressure to force the Pirates to give a succession of penalties away. However, the Pirates maintained their terrific defensive performance to hold a 26-0 lead at the break, much to the delight of the majority of the 1,582 inside the ground.

The performance was also no doubt also enjoyed by Sir Richard ‘Dicky’ Evans watching in Kenya ahead of his 80th birthday.

Further entertainment was surely on the cards once the second half got underway, and so it proved. Indeed, shortly after the restart the Pirates extended their lead when it was this time a deft nudge from Cambriani that led to Yates gathering the ball and crashing over at the clubhouse corner. Sinclair converted magnificently from out wide.

Cambridge, who included a number of former Pirates in their squadm continued to display admirable spirit, with replacement scrum-half Charlie Bemand causing some issues.

Bemand went close to scoring at the Newlyn posts, and when awarded penalties they took scrum options. There would though be no breaching of the Pirates defensive wall, which would hold tight throughout.

When replacements were introduced, the Hong Kong-born 6’6 and near 18-stone Wimbush literally made a huge impression for a back.

Quickly getting into the action, the 22-year-old’s impetus led to a converted try from full-back Iwan Price-Thomas, who continues to impress, before he added a converted score himself.

There was still time left for the Pirates to pass the 50-mark, and succeed they did, when Ward, who wasn’t far away from registering a hat-trick at Nottingham eight days earlier, this time did.

He was a happy man, as were the home supporters who saw all tries registered from the backs.

The Pirates have a weekend off before welcoming Richmond next Saturday (November 29, 2.30pm).

CORNISH PIRATES: Price-Thomas, Ward, Yates, J Elderkin, Cambriani, Sinclair, Hiscocks; Young, Nelson, French; Rice, Bell; King, Ratcliff, Agbongbon. Replacements (all used): Pritchard, Heaney,Andrews, Hallam, B Elderkin, James, Mawson, Wimbush.

Tries: Ward (3), Hiscocks, Cambriani, Yates, Price-Thomas, Wimbush; Convs: Sinclair (6); Pens: N/A.