Sat 30 Nov 2024
For the second game running the CABs found themselves in a huge hole, however this time there was no Houdini act and St Austell came away with five points and very deserved bragging rights in the first Cornish derby of the season, in front of nearly 700 spectators. The CABs were able to welcome back Charlie Short and Ollie Bebbington to bolster their ranks and try to keep in touch with leaders Exmouth and Barnstaple (two teams they face in the next few weeks). The first ten minutes was the CABs putting pressure on the Saints defence with Bebbington,Short and Leion Cole at the fore. However, penalties for holding and a couple of knock-ons (which became a running theme throughout the game) enabled Saints to keep their line in tact. In fact, from one of those turnovers, the Saints were able to show the CABs how to be clinical and attack down the left flank and go in for the first score (0-5). This was followed up within a few minutes when Saints earned a 50-22 and a few phases later they scored via the right flank for a 0-10 lead. CABs hit back immediately, with a quick tap, by points machine George Hillson, to narrow the gap to 5-10. It was now up to the CABs to sustain the pressure and get that next score and they had the chances; two key lineouts weren't executed and a knock on in midfield resulted in Saints breaking away for their fullback to score from around the halfway line (5-17). It was now a case for the CABs to keep the scoreline at this, at worse, as the Saints had their tails up and were playing a high level of intensity, skill and game management, for the remaining 7 minutes of the half. However, right on the stroke of half-time another 50/22 gave Saints field position and several phases later the Saints scrum-half nipped through a gap on the line for a deserved 5-22 lead.
The key focus, at half-time, for the CABs was reminding them on the need to match the Saints 'fire in their bellies' attitude (which was spoken all week and prior to the game) and to look after the ball better; seven turnovers and three unsuccessful lineouts were constantly truncating any pressure on the Saints defence and their line. The second half was a much better showing from the CABs with the players showing an improved level of intensity and fire, but couldn't get past a good physical and gutsy defence (especially as they now had a healthy lead to defend). It was Saints who got the first when a lineout, in the CABs 22, was driven over by nearly all the Saints players and the lead was now a pretty much unassailable lead of 5-29 afer 50 minutes. For the rest of the game it was about how well the Saints could keep the CABs out and bar a couple of late scores by captain Rowley they achieved this and came away with the right scoreline.
The CABs came away with zero league points and dropped further behind the leaders. In all honesty, they had no-one to blame; Saints rightly treated the Cornish derby as a cup final and had the correct level of fire, intensity and attitude needed to go into the match and also sustain it. The CABs have to now show a correct response as they face Barnstaple at Pottington Road next Saturday.
