Davies calls for strong response
THE Cornish Pirates will go into Sunday's game against Nottingham at the Mennaye Field (2pm) looking for a strong response to last weekend's heavy defeat at Bedford, writes Dick Straughan
Not only did the 32-6 thrashing end their hard earned five game unbeaten run but it was also the Pirates' heaviest league defeat since May 2010 when Bristol won 60-15 at Camborne.
Head coach Ian Davies was typically frank in his assessment of the performance and said: "It was quiet on the bus travelling back to Cornwall and so it should have been because we really let ourselves down.
"It was our first challenge of the season against a big Championship side and we came unstuck."
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He continued: "There was not a single player in the squad who didn't make an error and that affected us badly. We couldn't get any facets of our own game in order and the forwards for once didn't perform. That put us under pressure and we conceded too many penalties."
Tough
Davies agreed that his Pirates squad are now under 'huge pressure' to perform this weekend but Nottingham, now coached by former Pirates lock Martin Haag, will pose what he describes as a 'particularly tough challenge'.
He explained: "There is only one guy in the Nottingham pack who has not played Premiership rugby and in James Arlidge you have an experienced international fly-half.
"Tim Streather has been a stand-out centre in the league for two or three seasons and played for the Championship side recently. Then there is Dave Jackson and the names just keep coming."
The Pirates will be without Aaron Penberthy for around ten weeks as he recovers from a pelvic injury and Davies defended the decision to play the 20 year-old at Bedford.
He said: "We knew Aaron only had 40 minutes in him but he had the shirt so we decided he would start the game."
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