Hornets back with a bang
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Newquay Hornets 43 - 17 Penryn Tribute Western Counties West LeagueHornets started their rugby season with an emphatic victory, when they welcomed Penryn to the Sports Centre on Saturday.
In a fiercely contested match, where possession was pretty even, last season’s Cornwall and Devon champions just couldn’t match the home side’s solid defence and the pace of their backs. Hornets ran in six tries to their visitors’ three.
After the heavier Penryn pack had driven a maul over for prop, Dom Booth to open the scoring with a try on 10 minutes, Hornets got their passing game going and the back three of Romey Vassell, Dan Pearce and Rob McIntyre all got tries in the opening half.
Vassell was given the ball in acres of space on the left and ran rings around two defenders. Pearce fielded and kick out of defence in midfield and ran in through the Penryn centre.
McIntyre was a beneficiary of a recycled ball after an excellent run by Vassell on the left. After being sent away by centre and captain Rob Ley, he out-paced two defenders down the right and ran around under the posts.
Stuart Williams crashed over in injury time at the break after a quick penalty caught Penryn napping, but the ball was judged to have been held-up over the line.
He wasn’t to be denied and picked up from the resulting five-yard scrum and forced his way over for the try. Fly half, Sam Cullen converted three of the tries and kicked a penalty to make it 29-5 at the break.
There could have been more for the home side. The combination of Vassell and Pearce was only yards from a score on 43 minutes.
Penryn restarted with the breeze at their backs and had their best period of the match in the third quarter. They battered the Hornets’ line, but awesome home defence kept them out.
Then Hornets took the wind out of Penryn’s sails and ended any chance of a comeback, when, on 59 minutes, they broke out and scored the try of the match.
Running the ball to the right wing and then switching left to find hooker, Luke Bazeley in space to crash over.
On 66 minutes, another smart move from Hornets put Vassell away for his second try down the left. Cullen was on target with both conversions and Hornets had the match wrapped up at 43-5.
On 70 minutes they might have gone further ahead when scrum half Marc Richards made a lovely break in his own half and shrugged off would-be tacklers to get behind the defence and run into the Penryn twenty-two before being caught. Late on, Tim Grainger and Scott Martin came on for Rob Ley and Stuart Williams.
Hornets will not be happy with their loss of concentration in injury time.
Although the match was beyond them, Penryn came back and scored two tries through Allen Jordan and Justin Doney. Stuart Hodgson converted one.
Hornets’ Team Manager Steve Bazeley confessed that he was apprehensive about his side’s ability to take on the well-drilled Penryn side after they scored the first try.
But once Hornets got into their stride and moved the ball away from the visitors’ more physical pack he was more confident of victory.
The excellent start will give Hornets quiet satisfaction and confidence for next weekend.
They travel to newly promoted Tavistock to renew the rivalries of their time in Cornwall and Devon League in season 2007/8. Tavistock drew their opener 17-17, away at Minehead.
Scorers: Newquay Hornets Tries Romey Vassell (2), Dan Pearce, Rob McIntyre, Stuart Williams, Luke Bazeley. Conversions Sam Cullen (5) Penalty Sam Cullen. Penryn Tries Dom Booth, Allen Jordan, Justin Doney. Conversion Stuart Hodgson.
Newquay Hornets Team: James Bayley Luke Bazeley, Simon Lutey, Mark Turton, Simon Morgan, Tim Eustice, Matt Orton, Stuart Williams (Scott Martin), Marc Richards, Sam Cullen, Romey Vassell, Rob Ley(Tim Grainger), Frazer Kellythorn, Rob McIntyre, Dan Pearce, Matt Mockford.
PICS ABOVE: (left) Luke Bazeley holds his hands up in frustration at a refereeing decision in the first half before, (centre) Romey Vassell crosses the line, unchallenged, to score Newquay’s first try and (right) Sam Cullen, who scored five conversions and a penalty gets in a tackle
Pics Phil Bunt / www.cornwall-photos.com
