Try is scored by Cornish Pirates at Rotherham

Cornish Pirates Aim for Top Six After Crucial Away Win at Rotherham

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The Cornish Pirates dismantled Rotherham Titans 40-21 at Clifton Lane on Sunday, running in six tries to claim their first away victory since 21 March and vault into fourth place in the Champ Rugby standings, the BBC reported.

Callum Bustin gave the newly-promoted hosts an early 16th-minute lead, but the Pirates reeled off three tries before halftime to seize control. Arthur Relton’s 23rd-minute score drew the Cornish side level, and tries from Arwel Robson and Hugh Bokenham in the final five minutes of the first period sent them into the break ahead 21-7. After the restart, Henry Palmer crossed eight minutes in to secure a crucial bonus point, Morgan Nelson added a fifth try after the hour mark, and Matt Pritchard completed the rout in the dying moments. Zac Nearchou and Ben Cambriani managed late consolation scores for Rotherham.

“We were hungry to get up here and get our first away win,” joint-head coach Alan Paver told BBC Radio Cornwall. “The intensity we brought to the game for the full 80 minutes was there to see for everybody.”

Paver was quick to acknowledge the quality of the opposition, noting that Rotherham had done “extremely well” in their return to the second tier and remained “a tricky opposition, especially at home.” The victory marks a significant step forward for a Cornish Pirates side that missed out on the play-offs last campaign after finishing seventh, eight points adrift of the final post-season berth.

Now sitting fourth, the Pirates face a defining block of fixtures against sides currently occupying the bottom five of the table: Richmond, Caldy, Nottingham, and Hartpury.

“We’re ambitious,” he said. “We feel we’re capable of winning all four. That’s not arrogant, but we do feel we’ve got the players and the infrastructure in place to give each one of those games a really good go.”

The coach emphasized that maintaining momentum through this run is critical to securing a top-six finish. “We’re ambitious to finishing that top six, top four area, and if we’re going to do that we need to make sure that we have a strong start, which we have and this next block of four, one down from Rotherham away, is critical to maintaining that momentum,” Paver added. He cautioned, however, that the group still has work to do, telling the BBC: “There’s a lot of learning. There’s still a long way to go for this group… But it’s a big milestone, a win away from home, and we’ll see what that does for us going through the league.”

Highlights: Rotherham Titans 21 Cornish Pirates 40 l Champ Rugby 26/27

Rotherham’s Fortress Breached After Two-Year Run

For Rotherham, the defeat ended a remarkable home winning streak at Clifton Lane that had stretched back over two years, the Yorkshire Post reported. Bishop’s Stortford were the last visitors to leave with a victory there on 19 October 2024, making Sunday’s loss particularly galling for a side that had won four of their first five matches back in the Champ, with only a defeat to league leaders Worcester Warriors spoiling their start.

The contrast between the full-time squads of Cornish Pirates and the part-time operation at Rotherham was evident in how the Titans approached the aftermath of their defeat. While Paver looked ahead to a four-game block, director of rugby Harvey Biljon refused to dwell on the setback, instead focusing on the immediate challenge ahead. With the Titans scheduled to travel to Nottingham on Friday night—just five days after this loss—the coaching staff is prioritizing rapid recovery over reflection.

“I think very quickly, the first thing we spoke about on the sign-off, and I know you’ll laugh at this,” Biljon said, “but we said, we’ve got a quick turnaround to play Nottingham on a Friday night. So, what do we need to do Tuesday to be ready on Friday?”

Club captain Travis Gordon echoed that sentiment, acknowledging the disappointment but stressing the need to move on quickly. “We’ll reset quickly because it’s a short turnaround, we’ll review and go again,” the openside flanker said. “Really excited for Nottingham, it’ll be my first time playing there. So we need to focus on recovering properly and going again.”

Gordon admitted the loss came down to key moments and individual errors that the squad would review during the week, but he also highlighted the ruthless nature of the division. “The Champ just shows that every team is really good and you’ve got to be at your best every day to get a win,” he said. Despite the end of the unbeaten home run, he dismissed any lingering disappointment: “It’s gutting, but records are there to be broken. We’ll look past it because it’s such a short turnaround.”

Action from Rotherham v Cornish Pirates
Photo: BBC

What the Win Means for the Playoff Race

With the Pirates now occupying fourth place in the table after their win over Rotherham, the Titans face a quick turnaround before their next match.

Rotherham, meanwhile, must quickly refocus on Friday’s trip to Nottingham. For a part-time operation balancing Championship rugby with other commitments, the quick turnaround offers little time to process the first home defeat in over two years, but Biljon’s side has shown resilience in bouncing back from setbacks before.

The Third Half – Cornish Pirates – Sunday 1st November 26

The Cornish Pirates’ next test comes against Richmond, with the block of four matches against Richmond, Caldy, Nottingham, and Hartpury set to determine whether Paver’s “ambitious” side can push for the top four area.

Disclaimer: The analytical insights and data provided in this article are for informational and entertainment purposes only and do not constitute medical advice or sports betting recommendations.

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