HT 12-12 FT 29-22
Attendance 1794
Referee – Charles
STAR MAN – Kayde Sylvester (Cambridge)
Scrums Won 4-3
Scrums Lost 0-0
Line Outs Won 13-9
Line Outs Lost 1-5
Penalties Against 8-13
YC 1-1
Cambridge celebrated their first victory over fully professional opposition since their arrival in the Championship in pulsating game at Grantchester Road.
Both sides were locked on one win and three defeats ahead of kick off – and Richie Williams side dug deep in the final few minutes to get themselves over the line.
“I’m delighted for all the players, who worked really hard this week to get that result today, especially off the back of last Friday’s poor performance at Hartpury. We had a plan today in terms of selection and the boys that we put on the bench and they executed that plan perfectly so credit to all of them for delivering that win. We just managed to get over the line at the end. We’d done things our way this week. That energy, that effort, that desire, it’s been missing at times this season but it was there in abundance today. We’ve just said there in the huddle, enjoy the win, because these bonus point wins haven’t come along very often for us in the Championship so we’ll celebrate that tonight”.
Cambridge kept their line intact for most of the first quarter, having most of the possession and territory but it was Pirates who struck first, through skipper Adam Bokenham in their first incursion into the home 22, bouncing off the post to touch down. Bruce Houston added the extras.
The Blood & Sand struck back through Sam Hanks, who scurried over following a neat cross-field break and Louis Grimoldby tied the scores off the tee.
Matt Hema – on his 151st appearance in Cambridge colours – touched down after equally fine work from Joe Green and Joe Tarrant and his side looked to be heading into half time with the lead.
Will Gibson had other ideas after a pick and drive from the line out – enough to send both sides in level at the break with the conversion awry.
Grimoldby stroked over a penalty 3 minutes into the second half for the lead. Pirates fought back again with Bokenham’s second, Houston again converting before adding a penalty for good measure to stretch the margin in their favour.
But this week’s Cambridge were a different beast – striking twice through Seb Brownhill and Leicester Tigers loanee Archie Vanes for a big, big win. Grimoldby’s conversions were both good, but not as good as the celebrations that followed the final whistle.
Both sides finished with a forward in the sin bin – Brownhill for a technical offence and Tomiwa Agbonbon for foul play. It was a massive physical contest and Pirates coach Gavin Cattle was sanguine after being beaten in the dying minutes. “It seems to be the story of our first block of games. I’ve got to say today Cambridge really deserved their win. We’ve got a group of lads we’re trying to knit together very quickly. We all need a refresh – there’s plenty to work on but plenty to work with”.
Teams
Cambridge
Tarrant 8 (Baker 77 7), Hema 8, Hanks 8, Betteridge 8, Green 8, Grimoldby 8, R Dawson 8 (White 53 8); Ellwood 8 (Brownhill 70 8), Veness 8 (Vanes 47 8), Walker 8 (Bridges 69 8), Bretag Norris 8 (Bartlett 47 8), Baxter 8 (Dawson 69 8), Sylvester 9, Rees 8 (Adams 52 8), Cardew 8
Cornish Pirates
Price-Thomas 7, McNab 7, Georgiou 7, Elderkin 7, Relton 7, Houston 8 (Jenkins 69 7), Hiscocks 8 (Jones 69 7); Keast 7(Young 48 7), Nelson 7 (Hocking 48 7), French 7 (Tyack 48 7), Rice 7, O’Connor 7(King 48 7), Everett 6 (Agbongbon 26 7), Gibson 7, Bokenham 8
Scorers
Cambridge
Tries Hanks 26 Hema 33 Brownhill 76 Vanes 80
Conversions Grimoldby 27, 77, 80
Penalty Grimoldby 43
Cornish Pirates
Tries Bokenham 23, 47 Gibson 37
Conversions Houston 24, 48
Penalty Houston 74