Cornish Pirates End Losing Streak with Chinnor Victory

Joint-head coach Gavin Cattle of the Cornish Pirates expressed relief following his team’s recent win, which marked the end of their seven-game losing streak. This triumph was the Pirates’ first since their match against Nottingham on 20 September. Competing in the Championship, the Pirates secured a 15-13 win against Chinnor, having recovered from a 13-5 disadvantage at half-time. This victory, which was their initial success since the season’s commencement, elevated the Pirates to the eighth position in the division standings. Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall, Cattle stated, “It’s a bit of a relief to get the monkey off your back a little bit, but make no bones about it we’ve got some work to do.” The initial points of the match came in the 12th minute from an unconverted try by Matt McNab for the host team. However, Chinnor established a significant half-time lead, primarily due to Will Feeney’s try in the 27th minute and an additional eight points contributed by Connor Slevin’s kicking. Nevertheless, Arthur Relton’s try in the 55th minute narrowed the Pirates’ deficit to a single point. Bruce Houston then secured the victory for the Pirates by successfully kicking a match-winning penalty with six minutes left in the game. Cattle further commented, “I think what was clear to see that the end was how desperate they were to win it.” He continued, stating, “As a team we needed to come out the right side of a result like that.” Cattle also described the challenging conditions, remarking, “There was a lot of error, it was quite greasy out there – the limited possession we had in the first half there was a lot of spillages on the floor and both teams couldn’t quite get going.” He concluded by noting the team’s adaptation: “But then I felt we found a way. We found a way in the scrum, which goes to show that we are learning on the job.”