This match was never going to be pretty to watch but clashes between the Pirates and the Chiefs seldom disappoint. And so this contest fired into life with just a minute played as the home side opened the scoring with a try for flanker Iva Motusaga.

The Pirates kicked-off attacking the Clubhouse End of the ground. Exeter claimed possession and took it into contact where, from the ensuing ruck, they knocked forward. Debutant scrum-half, Ed Fairhurst, seized on the ball and with the Referee playing advantage snapped it to wing Ali Koko who smashed a gaping hole in the Chiefs rearguard. Rapid support and quick ball from the breakdown allowing Motusaga to score. Fly-half Gareth Steenson obliging with the conversion.

Within moments of the restart Pirates skipper Tim Cowley obliterated the charging Junior Fatialofa with a mammoth hit on the half-way line. It was to prove the catalyst for an afternoon of retribution.

Danny Gray for the Chiefs and Steenson exchanged penalties before Mark Fatialofa flattened Cowley with an unsavoury assault. Once the ensuing brawl had been calmed Mr Wilson yellow carded his brother, Junior. It was a case of mistaken identity but not one to trouble the emotions of the fanatical home crowd. Steenson stretched the Pirates lead to 13-3 with the resulting penalty.

The Chiefs were clearly rattled by the ferocity of the Pirates early play and their own inability to take control of the set piece. Another penalty after 24 minutes gifted Steenson a further three points as Exeter found their every attack repelled.

A rush of blood from Pirates lock Bruce Cumming helped redress the balance in favour of the Devon side when he was binned for trying to remove the head of Chad Slade without anaesthetic. His absence proved telling as Fijian flyer, Josh Drauninui, broke three tackles to score in the Town Corner. Danny Gray adding a difficult conversion from the touchline.

With the first half reaching a crescendo Steenson first knocked-on in the act of scoring after a blistering period of sustained pressure from the Pirates, before adding a routine penalty after an offence on the floor to take the lead to 19-10 at the break. In the meantime Cracknell had been stretchered off following an off the ball incident. 

The Chiefs were clearly determined to stifle the Pirates as the second half unfolded, clearly intent on pilfering the spoils via the method of counter-attack. The advent of a swirling breeze increased the pressure on the kickers as the match became increasingly tentative - such was the prize on offer.

When the Pirates were penalised for illegally destroying a Chiefs scrum Gray slotted the kick from 40 metres. Mark Fatialofa then found himself carded following an off the ball shoulder charge on Cowley. Again the Pirates skipper stood up, shook himself down and carried on. It was a Sam Peckinpah movie unfolding before our eyes in real time.

Steenson extended the Pirates lead to 22-13 from the resulting penalty before Motusaga levelled the sin bin count after a blatant offence at the breakdown. Cleverly Gray punted for the corner and taking advantage of the Pirates lack of numbers in the forwards, a try for Chad Slade came from the ensuing line-out and driving maul. Gray`s missed conversion keeping the Pirates ahead at 22-18.

With the match becoming an ever tightening stranglehold on the Pirates a penalty against the Chiefs in the 62nd minute was a welcome relief. The ever dependable Steenson firing home off a post after the Chiefs front row had again been penalised for collapsing a scrum. Drauniniu then spurned an attacking overlap with the try-line beckoning before scorching home again five minutes later after the Pirates had aimlessly kicked away possession. Crucially Gray missed the conversion and the Pirates still led by two with ten minutes to play.

Again Drauniniu threatened intercepting as the Pirates looked to score and being deprived of a clinching try only by his loss of footing and a determined scrambling defence. The Pirates dug deep and played out the final act of the game camped in the Chiefs half. It became a game of territory and percentages. The Pirates made them count.

Two missed drop goal attempts from Steenson and a knock-on by Brian Tuohy as he broke from deep along the right flank were just the entrees. With four minutes of stoppage time played the Chiefs, desperate for a final push, lost a scrum deep in their own half. Cumming flipped the ball out to Jimmy Moore who charged down the blindside, chipped over Exeter scrum-half Clive Stuart-Smith, and lit the afterburners. Moore`s triumph in the foot race to score brought the house down.

As the team celebrated Steenson`s rare missed conversion mattered little. The final whistle was blown on a tremendous advert for Northern Hemisphere club rugby.

Cornish Pirates

Thomas, Tuohy, Devlin, Winn (Buckley 8), Koko (Moore 40), Steenson, Fairhurst, Paver (Cook 69), Kemp (Elloway 69), Seal, Cumming (Sin bin 30-40), Beardshaw, Cracknell (Hobson 39), Motusaga (Sin bin 53-63) , Cowley (capt)

Replacements(not used) :- Heard, McAtee

Tries:-  Motusaga, Moore

Cons:-  Steenson

Pens :-  Steenson (6)

Exeter Chiefs

Kingdom, Luff, M. Fatialofa (Sin bin 50-60), J. Fatialofa (Sin bin 15-25), Drauniniu, Gray, Stuart-Smith, Parkes (Kingsland 66), Nelson (Andress 53), Dunlea (Blythe 53), Stevenson (Johnson 53), Hanks, Slade, Miller, Baxter (capt)

Replacements (not used):- Willis, Yapp, Kelly,

Tries:-  Drauniniu (2), Slade

Con:-   Gray

Pen:-    Gray (2)

Referee – Mark Wilson (RFU)

Attendance – 4867

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