Bester bemoans errors as run ends

ROTHERHAM Titans head coach Andre Bester felt his side were the architects of their own downfall in west Cornwall yesterday.

“We gave them 14 points in the first half and effectively that was the difference,” said Bester. “Individually and collectively, we were poor. Pirates were clinical and every time they got half a chance they scored.”

Pirates had a Grant Pointer try disallowed in the eighth minute, but only three minutes later, Dave Doherty finished off a slick move in the left corner after Rotherham had lost the ball inside their own 22.

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The hosts stretched their advantage when scrum-half Gavin Cattle scampered over for a try off the back of a five-metre scrum. Rob Cook converted, and then banged over a 40-metre penalty to leave the Titans trailing 15-0 after only 19 minutes.

Garry Law kicked two penalties before disaster befell the Yorkshiremen. They were again turned over and fly-half Jonny Bentley’s clever grubber put in Doherty for his second try, giving Pirates a 20-6 interval advantage.

Titans got themselves back into it when Semisi Taulava burst through a gap 15 metres out to score his fifth try of the season, Law adding the extras.

However, Pirates swiftly responded with a bonus-point try, when a missed pass by Ceiron Thomas sent Drew Locke in at the corner, and he ran in behind the posts, to give Cook a simple conversion and the hosts a 27-13 lead.Cook drove home what was effectively the final nail in the Titans’ coffin with a 70th-minute penalty to send the Pirates top of the Championship table.

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Cornish Pirates: Cook, Pointer (McAtee 65), Locke, Suniula (Burgess 75), Doherty, Bentley (Thomas 57), Cattle (Kessell 75), Storer (Rimmer 75), Ward (Elloway 69), Rimmer (Fairbrother 57), McGlone, Nimmo Ewers, Morgan, Maidment (Cowan 80). Rotherham Titans: Foden, Tellwright, Hamilton (Hodgson 64), Nonu, Monahan, Law, Rhodes (Williams 40), Cahill (Kilbane), Baines, O’Donnell, Dickinson, Maddison (Griffiths 44), Copeland, Dougall, Taulava. Unused replacements: Stagg, Stout, Kirwan.

Referee: D Gamage (RFU).

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