Cornish Pirates v Yorkshire Carnegie: Bryan Redpath looking for mental strength to help sink Pirates

SUNDAY'S arduous trip to Cornish Pirates, meanwhile, will pose the greatest threat yet to Yorkshire Carnegie's 100 per cent winning start, according to head coach Bryan Redpath.
Yorkshire Carnegie  head coach Bryan Redpath.
 Picture: Jonathan GawthorpeYorkshire Carnegie  head coach Bryan Redpath.
 Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe
Yorkshire Carnegie head coach Bryan Redpath. Picture: Jonathan Gawthorpe

His side – unchanged for today – have won all five games so far to strengthen belief they are heading in the right direction towards their ultimate goal of promotion.

But, having prospered 37-21 at Rotherham Titans last Saturday, they now face another away game of differing complexity as second faces third in Penzance.

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“It’s a huge game,” said Redpath, about opponents whose only defeat so far came last week with a narrow 25-24 loss at London Scottish. “We have started well but this weekend is the biggest of all.

“It’s our fourth away game in six so far and we have to finish well before breaking off for the B&I Cup.

“Cornish have started extremely well, are coached very well by two former players (Alan Paver and Gavin Cattle) so that helps them and they have a very good team spirit.

“They are hard to break while the external factor of travelling for maybe nine hours down there on Saturday and the same back on Sunday after the game, that can sometimes play on minds, too.

“We have to be mentally right. It will be tight.

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“We’ve a lot of respect for them; Pirates are a very dogged and well-organised team.

“I’m delighted with the start we’ve made but we also know we’ve still not hit our potential.”

Carnegie’s only alterations are on the bench where Richard Mayhew and Andy Forsyth replace Chris Walker and Warren Seals.