Match Report: Exeter Chiefs v Cornish Pirates

After a quick turnaround from their win over London Scottish, Exeter Chiefs were straight back into action at Sandy Park as Cornish Pirates took to the field for the second game of a pre-season Double Header.

Chiefs changed the script at the beginning of the second game, getting their names firmly on the scoresheet first. Dan John broke on the wing with Paul Brown-Bampoe on his shoulder. Taking the feed from his full-back, the winger turned on the burners to reach the line ahead of the back-tracking Pirates defence.

Despite Jacques Vermeulen being the scorer, the second Chiefs try was all Dan Frost. Footwork and physicality from the hooker saw him carve his way through the Pirates half, giving a one-handed offload to the game’s captain to complete the score.

Pirates got their first score of the day through former Chief, Arthur Relton. A ball meant for Will Rigg was torn out of the air at his fingertips by Relton who had a clear run-in to the base of the posts. The conversion was then a simple one for Bruce Houston.

Some tricks are just born of experience, and Olly Woodburn offloading a chip kick he had just leaped to catch while still in mid-air was the perfect example of one. His skill meant the ball landed perfectly into the grasp of an on-rushing Zack Wimbush who ate up the distance left between him and the line.

It was mere minutes before Woodburn had a try of his own. Quick interchange from Frost, Skinner and Vermeulen put Chiefs within range of the line and a last offload to Woodburn saw the veteran player flying over at the corner flag.

A good read of the Pirates back-field saw Skinner decide to chip a kick cross-field to Brown-Bampoe on the wing. The former BUCS Super Rugby player then jink-stepped two defenders to run the ball around underneath the posts, sealing an easy conversion for his fly half.

The hattrick belong to Brown-Bampoe just minutes later. Will Rigg recovered an errant ball to break from his own half. He put Chiefs into space before using his teammate’s supporting line to secure the try.

The conversion curved around nicely from five metres inside the touchline as Skinner added the extra points and bring the first half to an end.

Half-time: Chiefs 34 – 7 Pirates

It was a slightly messy start to the second half as handing errors hampered both sides from getting any kind of foothold in their attacking sets.

The first score of the second half almost didn’t come off. Rigg put boot to ball on the Pirates 10 metre line, and it originally looked like the Chiefs centre had put too much power into the kick. However, the bounce of the ball stuttered underneath the uprights, holding it within the field’s bounds for Rigg to turn on the after burners and reach it in time for the score.

Skinner took the conversion to make it the full contingent of points.

Pirates cracked double digits on the scoreboard just after the hour mark as a driving maul steadily trucked towards the line. Morgan Nelson held the ball steady at the back to dive over the line for the five points.

Pirates snuck a third try over the line with 10 minutes left on the clock. As Chiefs looked to continue defending the maul drive, Harry Yates snuck off the rear to cross for the score.

Chiefs responded immediately. Quickly working their way into the Pirates half, the forwards used brute strength on the line and, after a check with the touch judge, replacement Lucas Dorrell was awarded the try.

A mistimed tackle from Vermeulen saw the Chiefs back rower fly out of the line, leaving himself little time to wrap the arms. As his adversary left the field with the physios, the Chiefs man was shown a yellow card.

Pirates used the momentum of being a man-up to head for the corner, using quick hands off the lineout to cross for a fourth try which Iwan Jenkins converted.

Full-time: Chiefs 46 – 24 Pirates

Chiefs: D John; P Brown-Bampoe, Z Wimbush (Lilley 64’), W Rigg, O Woodburn (Fenton 70’); H Skinner (Coen 62’), T Cairns (Armstrong 36’); W Goodrick-Clarke (Blose 40’), D Frost (Innard 40’), E Painter (Street 40’), J Dunne (Beckerleg 59’), R Tuima (Dunne 70’), F Worley-Brady (Dorrell 68’), J Vermeulen, G Fisilau (Forsythe 70’).

Unused replacements: Mann, Gulley

Tries: Brown-Bampoe 3, Vermeulen, Wimbush, Woodburn, Rigg, Dorrell Conversions: Skinner 3

Yellow card: Jacques Vermeulen

Pirates: W Trewin; R Wedlake, C McCaig, J Elderkin, A Relton; B Houston, C Jones; B Young, M Nelson, J Tyack, B Rice, H Bokenha, A Everett, W Gibson, J Stevens.

Replacements: Moody, Hocking, French, Michel, Andrews, Hallam, King, Cannon, Hiscocks, Rigelsford, Jenkins, McNab, Yates, Georgiou, Price-Thomas

Tries: Relton, Nelson, Yates Conversions: Houston, Jenkins

Referee: Joe James