Head coach Alan Paver believes the Mennaye crowd can play their part as the Cornish Pirates return home on Sunday to take on Caldy in the RFU Championship (2.30pm kick-off).

Paver said: “We are looking forward to playing back home on the Mennaye, with the crowd again behind us, and if we get it right and put in a good performance then there is no reason why we can’t end up on the right side of the score.”

He added: “In their first Championship season Caldy have done very well, including beating not only us in the league but also Ealing Trailfinders which, as we know, is not an easy thing to do.

“We have been on good form, and although the Ealing game was obviously a bridge too far for us, and we couldn’t quite carry the squad we wanted to into the game, our young men did well.”

The teams have already met three times this season, with the Pirates losing 15-14 away to the Ravers in the league back in December but having in the Cup won 26-7 away in November and 52-5 at home on the Mennaye Field in February.

Changes in the Pirates starting line-up from the one that ran out at Ealing Trailfinders last weekend see Jack Andrew and Hayden King named as the propping pair. For the latter it will be his first league start of the season. 

Cory Teague and Will Britton will form a fresh second-row pairing and fit again flanker John Stevens returns to captain the side. In the backs there is one change, where Garyn Smith will partner Rory Parata in the centre.

Cornish Pirates: 15 AJ Cant 14 Robin Wedlake 13 Rory Parata 12 Garyn Smith 11 Arthur Relton 10 Harry Bazalgette 9 Alex Schwarz; 1 Jack Andrew 2 Morgan Nelson 3 Hayden King 4 Cory Teague 5 Will Britton 6 Alex Everett 7 John Stevens (captain) 8 Ben Grubb.

Replacements: 16 Max Norey 17 Olly Adkins 18 Matt Johnson 19 James Fender 20 Jarrard Hayler 21 Ruaridh Dawson 22 Arwel Robson 23 Joe Elderkin.

Tickets for this weekend’s game will be available at the gates on the day from 12.30pm; they can also be purchased online.