Knights fail to nail it (again)
After a week of uncertainty as to whether Mark Woodrow or Ben Gollings would be fit to start, and Cerith Rees signed before the transfer deadline as cover, it turned out that both made the starting line up although neither was near their best. Rees did get a last 15 minutes off the bench but got no opportunity to show his worth.
The Pirates intentions were clear from the outset, looking lively and inventive – even running the ball from behind their own line in the opening minutes and requiring a great tackle from Wes Davies to prevent Rhodri McAtee going clear. But it was the home side who were first on the score board when the Pirates conceded a tackle penalty in the sixth minute and Woodrow slotted the 25 metre kick with ease. That turned out to be the only score of the first half, but that didn’t reflect a pulsating forty minutes of fine rugby in which both defences ruled the roost. Twice in the half Pirates made clean line breaks, failing to score only through great cover tackles by Ben Jones and Anthony Carter. Russell Earnshaw, having an immense game, led one Knights’ beak out but through the middle period of the half the Pirates were clearly looking the more likely to score. They were sharper, more explosive and looked to have a sharper cutting edge, never could break down the home scramble defence in a testing 20 minute spell. As half time approached, though, it was the Knights who were gradually getting onto the front foot. A slick backs move on the left ended when the inside pass to Donovan Van Vuuren was inaccurate and the ball spilled. Such was the home pressure that three points were declined in favour of the kick to the corner as Pirates scrum collapsed – but the ball was spilled on a line out tail peel, advantage was played and the Pirates again ran the ball from behind their posts again requiring frantic defensive cover. But back came the home side with Carter in the line at p[ace being stopped inches short, and as the backs tried to move the ball right, handling let them down and another chance went begging. The half ended with the Knights camped on the Pirates line. Short range pick and drives were repelled, two blind side darts were covered, and finally Woodrow was forced into touch at the right corner post to leave the Pirates relived to be just the three points behind at the break. But it had been an exciting 40 minutes from two sides with positive ambition, plenty slick backs play to match the forward grunt, but in the end two fine defences who weren’t giving an inch, or cheap penalties either.
Pirates tied the scores early second half when James Moore was high tackled on the home ’22, but recovered to take the kick himself. Both sides attacked in the ensuing 10 minutes but again defences held. The Knights then had a period of almost 20 minutes of continuous pressure, most of it in the Pirates ’22. The pressure was intense but lacked any explosive power at close quarters, or any real pace on the ball when it went wide. For a moment Gollings thought he had scored when he intercepted a pass from a Pirates line out, but was ruled offside. Pirates did once escape temporarily upfield when Gollings missed touch with one penalty, gifting a free ball attack, but it was comfortably dealt with. Luke Gross stole a Pirates line out and charged upfield, supported by the tireless Earnshaw, but that move ended with another handling error in the visitors’ ’22. The scrum that followed, though, was powerfully disrupted, forcing Pirates to minor; and from that scrum replacement Netani Talei was held a whisker short of the line. Another close range attacking scrum saw Earnshaw denied by the defence, and when the ball then went wide, Wes Davies was denied the try by another excellent Pirates cover tackle. It was looking as though there would be no way through when suddenly John Cannon made a trademark half break, offloaded to Woodrow whose pass gave Davies, in off the right wing, the chance to outpace the cover to the left corner. Woodrow added the extras and the Knights were in front with 15 minutes to play. In the earlier two meetings with the Pirates they were also ahead in the second half, and failed to close the game out. What would happen this time? Sadly for the home support, it was déjà vu. With ten minutes to play, Knights knocked on trying an ambitious offload, advantage was offered and the Pirates attacked. Knights conceded a penalty. It was kicked deep into the home ’22. From the line out a series of close range pick and drives made an inch at a time as a desperate Pirates pack went for the score they needed. Finally it was hooker Viliami Ma’asi who made the last inch when his reach got the ball to the line – just! Moore’s conversion was simple and the scores were tied. Pirates spirits were visibly lifted. A high kick saw Davies inexplicably allow the ball to bounce before he then knocked it on as it bobbled on the firm surface – an attacking scrum saw Ngalu Tau penalized for collapsing it as referee Newitt pulled the surprised rabbit out of his hat. Moore stepped up to win the game, but arguably to the referee’s relief the kick slid wide of the right post. Extra time now, surely; but from the restart Moore made amends for his miss when his head up vision saw the drop goal opportunity, and his kick from 30 metres made it over the bar by a couple of inches at most. All this did was ignite the Knights to one last massive effort. They drove upfield and again Earnshaw was at the heart of matters as he carried deep into the Pirates ’22. His look of astonishment at being penalized for holding on in the tackle was understandable: why would he with support aplenty? But the Pirates weren’t arguing and their joy at the final whistle showed what the win meant to them and to their vocal traveling support.
It was harsh reality for a home side that had expended so much effort, but once again failed to nail a game that was there to be won. And again a disappointing crowd of under 1000 reflecting lack of interest in this competition. So no Twickenham trip ten years after the earlier one, and the EDF Trophy has three West Country sides in the semi finals. The other, Pertemps Bees who won at Newbury, are the visitors when league action returns to castle Park next Saturday (2.30pm).
Knights: Carter (Bailey 68), Davies W, Gollings, Cannon, Van Vuuren, Woodrow (Rees 68), Jones (Scully 70), Bunting (Davies T 52), Boden (Phillips 48), Tau, Kenworthy (Cook D 60), Gross, Grainger (Talei 51), Forster, Earnshaw.
Pirates: Winnan, McAtee, Roke (Winn 77), Bell, Vinnicombe (Hylton 50), Moore, Cattle, Paver, Ma’asi (Makin 69), Heard (Seal 50), Senekal, Beardshaw, McKeen, Motusaga, Cowley.
Referee: D Newitt (RFU) |
