Playing their final home league game of the season on a pleasantly sunny and warm Mennaye Field, the Pirates of Penzance & Newlyn emerged victorious from this eighth versus fifth Regional 2 South West encounter with a thoroughly deserved and entertaining win.

Ahead of kick-off, there was a forced change for the Pirates after scrum-half Sam Carter was injured in the warm-up. Named replacement Dan Rhys Evans was handed the ‘9’ shirt and Rhodri McAtee slotted in to take a seat on the bench.

The Pirates had lost 34-12 away at Crediton’s Exhibition Road ground back in November, so they knew a likely tough game was in prospect. It was also no doubt felt important for them to get off to a sound start, which they pleasingly did.

Fly-half Rhys Brownfield, who put in an impressive performance, opened the scoring with a penalty kicked cleanly through the Newlyn posts, and it was skipper Stan Somers who would next score the game’s opening try, after taking a slick reverse pass from centre Oscar Marr.

Backs and forwards attacked to apply waves of pressure upon the visiting ‘Black & Ambers’, who are nicknamed ‘Kirton’, which is a local dialect for Crediton, and the Pirates soon opened up a 17-0 lead thanks to Brownfield scoring and converting the team’s second try.

Things were going well for the Pirates, but a sudden two tries scored by Crediton backrowers Josh Pearce and Jake Clarke, and a successful conversion attempt kicked by fly-half Josh Davey concentrated home minds as halftime arrived with the score reading 17-12.

For the Pirates, Dan Rhys Evans had performed well at scrum half, being that important link to enable the side to play some attractive rugby in the second forty. Sensational in the sun, further tries were scored by number 8 Jamie Eddy, wings Harvey Stone (2) and Callum Walsh, and Dan Rhys Evans, with Brownfield accumulating three more conversions.

As for Crediton, they added two late tries in the match through unidentified scorers. Both efforts were converted by Davey.

Commenting after the game, Penzance & Newlyn’s head coach Murray Westren said:

“I felt that this was a very good win. We spoke about not putting ourselves under pressure early on, and with a strong focus and being accurate we commendably started the game really well.

“Our lineout functioned pleasingly, which enabled us to use different ways to get a lot of momentum into the game, and we caused them a lot of problems.

“There was also though credit to Crediton in the way they attacked the game, and we had to be defensively solid to keep them at bay.

“Overall, it was an excellent game of rugby, played on a firm fast pitch in the sunshine at the Mennaye – who could ask for better - and with a fair-sized crowd present there was no lack of smiling faces about. Also, with it being our last home league game of the season, I’d like to thank both our supporters for their dedication and commitment throughout the season, and our sponsors for their much appreciated help.”

Penzance & Newlyn: 15 Jowan Wilding 14 Callum Walsh 13 Josh Semmens 12 Oscar Marr 11 Harvey Stone 10 Rhys Brownfield 9 Dan Rhys Evans; 1 Declan Prowse 2 Ted Hocking 3 Joe Best 4 Stan Somers (captain) 5 Ben Martin 6 Tom Hutton 7 Wes Eddy 8 Jamie Eddy.

Replacements: 16 Dylan Arthur 17 Connor Bick 18 Rhodri McAtee.

Yellow card: Hutton.

Crediton: 15 Freddie Borthen 14 Joe Dodge 13 Josh Goldman 12 Ben Wonnacott 11 Tom Hunt 10 Josh Davey 9 Ed Brady; 1 Rob Leach 2 Dan Yendell 3 Tom Luxmoore 4 Tom Mortimer 5 Ben Harris 6 Matt Arnold 7 Josh Pearce 8 Jake Clarke.

Replacements: 16 Will Conner 17 Charlie Conner 18 Harry Gulley.

Scorers:

Penzance & Newlyn – tries: Somers, Brownfield, Eddy, Stone (2), Walsh, Evans; cons: Brownfield (5); pen: Brownfield.

Referee: Will Williams.

(Remaining league games for the Pirates are now both away, to Teignmouth this coming Saturday, 28th March and then at Cullompton on the 10th April. For a first season playing at a higher level, there has been much to commend the Cornishmen, who will be keen to finish it well.)