Pirates make the trip to Doncaster

After a week off over Easter, the Cornish Pirates are next in action away to Doncaster Knights on Saturday.

A Round 20 league game in the RFU Championship, the sixth versus fifth contest kicks off at 2.30pm.

The Pirates won 37-15 at home to the Knights in January but will expect a much tougher examination ‘up north’ at Castle Park where they suffered a 22-15 defeat in the league last season.

There are five personnel changes in the Cornish Pirates starting line-up from the one that two weeks ago ran out at home to Caldy.

In the pack hooker Will Crane and tight-head prop Matt Johnson return, and with skipper John Stevens this week moving from open-side flanker to number 8, Will Gibson comes back into the side to wear the ‘7’ shirt. As for the backs, Ruaridh Dawson and Arwel Robson will form a fresh half-back pairing.

Speaking ahead of this Saturday’s fixture, Cornish Pirates’ joint head coach Alan Paver has commented: “Doncaster away is always a tough challenge at Castle Park, plus there is the travel aspect to contend with, although we are used to that.

“We have not hit our straps fully but have just come into a bit of winning form, and I would say that they are in a similar place.

“I also think both teams are evenly matched, and both are ambitious, so from our perspective it is important that we do ourselves justice and go up there to deliver a good performance.”  

The Cornish Pirates full selection for Saturday is as follows:

Cornish Pirates:   15 AJ Cant 14 Robin Wedlake 13 Rory Parata 12 Garyn Smith 11 Arthur Relton 10 Arwel Robson 9 Ruaridh Dawson; 1 Jack Andrew 2 Will Crane 3 Matt Johnson 4 Cory Teague 5 Will Britton 6 Alex Everett 7 Will Gibson 8 John Stevens (captain).

Replacements:   16 Max Norey 17 Marlen Walker 18 Hayden King 19 Steele Barker 20 Jarrard Hayler 21 Tom Kessell 22 Harry Bazalgette 23 Joe Elderkin.