By Phil Westren at Kingsholm

PREMIERSHIP RUGBY CUP POOL E (SATURDAY)

Gloucester 36 Cornish Pirates 28

THE Pirates put in a superb performance before going down to defeat at Gloucester.

It was the Cornish side’s first visit to Kingsholm to play a team that had secured a hard-fought 31-26 bonus point victory away to Hartpury in their cup opener the previous weekend.

The Pirates side showed several changes in their starting line-up from the one that ran out against Exeter Chiefs eight days earlier as backs Will Trewin, Robin Wedlake, Cam Jones and Harry Yates all came in, the latter making his first competitive match for the club.

Props Billy Young and James French also came into the team, while former Ireland Under 20s prop Oisin Michel was named on the bench.

The hosts named a mix of youth experience in their side.

Following a minute’s silence to mark annual remembrance to those who have fallen in conflict, it was the hosts who started well before the Pirates took an early lead.

With a tap and go, skipper Hugh Bokenham was eager for his side to play with intent, Cam Jones looked to snipe, Harry Yates carried with purpose and, following several penalty awards, it was flanker Will Gibson who made it over the line for the game’s opening try. Fly-half Bruce Houston added the extra two points.

Gloucester would hit back when Ollie Thorley, who always posed a danger in the match and has been capped by England, came off his wing and ran sharply to a score a try converted by former England Under 20s fly-half Rory Taylor.

Shortly after the restart, following pressure applied by the Pirates it was the familiar figure of prop Alfie Petch, who made 23 appearances for the Pirates back in 2021/22 and has joined Gloucester from Biarritz, who was suddenly shown a yellow card.

After the Pirates perhaps squandered a couple of scoring opportunities, fine tackles by Bokenham and Eoin O’Connor boosted them once more.

But approaching half-time, it was an unconverted try from centre Max Knight that gave the Cherry and Whites a 12-7 lead at the break.

The Pirates were soon back ahead when Houston converted Josh King’s try, although they needed some fine defence to hold up Jack Clement over the line.

However Gloucester then went up through the gears as tries from centre Morgan Adderly-Jones and Morgan Nelson, the latter having recently moved to Kingsholm from the Pirates, both of which were converted by Taylor.

Pirates’ replacement hooker Sol Moody’s first try for the club, which was converted by Houston, reduced the deficit, before any perceived advantage was cancelled out when Gloucester wing Jack Reeves’ converted score re-opened a 12-point gap.

Into the last few minutes, good play from Pirates’ replacement scrum-half Dan Hiscocks led to Moody being on hand to score his second and the team’s fourth converted try, that brought the Pirates to within just five points of their hosts.

If the score stayed at 33-28 then the Pirates would at least get two points,and although they failed to get close to a match-winning score, they were denied a second bonus point when Taylor slotted over a late penalty from in front of the posts.

CORNISH PIRATES: Will Trewin (Iwan Price-Thomas, 66), Robin Wedlake, Tom Georgiou (Charlie McCaig, 49), Harry Yates, Matt McNab, Bruce Houston, Cam Jones (Dan Hiscocks, 71); Billy Young (Oisin Michel, 54), Harry Hocking (Sol Moody, 54) James French (Ollie Andrews, 54), Charlie Rice, Eoin O’Connor (Matt Cannon, 70), Josh King (Tomi Agbongbon, 61), Will Gibson, Hugh Bokenham (capt).

Tries: Gibson, King, Moody (2); Convs: Houston (4); Pens: N/A.