đ Cornwall Rugby: Black and Gold thrash Devon to retain Tamar Cup
đ Cornwall Rugby: Black and Gold thrash Devon to retain Tamar Cup
Cornwall retained the Tamar Cup in style last night as they hammered Devon 45-0 in St Austell. We spoke to coach Marek Churcher, captain Matt Shepherd and Saints chairman Paul Hayes afterwards...
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âŹď¸ In todayâs newsletter âŹď¸
đ Cornwall stroll past Devon to retain Tamar Cup
đ Churcher lauds âhugely impressive performancesâ in Tamar Cup triumph
ăă âPlaying for Cornwall is very specialâ â Shepherd
đŁď¸ St Austell selections show great progress â Saints chairman
đ Whatâs on this week
đ Cornwall stroll past Devon to retain Tamar Cup
Cornwall 45, Devon 0
By Gareth Davies at Tregorrick Park
Matt Shepherd was the star of Cornwallâs show as the Duchy retained the Tamar Cup with a hard fought win over Devon at Tregorrick Park.
In wet and windy conditions, Shepherd, who captained Cornwall on his home stomping ground, took his own individual try scoring tally in 2022/23 to 36, continuing a remarkable campaign for the 32-year-old.
Against a spirited, but ultimately outclassed Devon side, the hosts only led 12-0 at half-time but after the interval, Cornwall really turned on the style to win the first Tamar Cup since 2019, owing to the covid-19 pandemic.
Cornwall were forced to make one change before kick-off with Truro number 8 Tom Duncan pulling out after his wife went into labour. This saw Andy Inch move from the second row to the base of the scrum with Camborneâs Jack Heazleton coming into the starting line-up.
In front of a huge crowd, which was estimated to be in excess of 1,000, Shepherd scored Cornwallâs first try after just 11 minutes when he cut back on the inside to go under the posts and the extras were added too. The next 15 minutes of play were scrappy as both sides made handling errors as conditions worsened but Cornwall scored again through Shepherd with a stunning effort out wide.
Cornwallâs second try went unconverted and the 10 minutes before half time saw Devon enjoy their best spell of the game. Testing Cornwallâs defensive line, Mark Vian was sent to the sin bin by referee James Miliner and then, playing with a penalty advantage, Honitonâs Jake Smith appeared to have scored in the Hospital corner only for merry flag waver Ash Gilder to rule a foot in touch.
After the interval, Cornwall gradually found their straps and once back to a full complement they scored three tries in 11 minutes to ensure local bragging rights stayed this side of the Tamar.
Aaron Simmondsâ try, converted by Shepherd, gave Cornwall a 19-0 lead and from this point on, the home side never looked back.
Simmondsâ Camborne team mate Liam Jolly stretched Cornwallâs tally with the Black and Goldâs fourth score of the evening before Shepherd duly completed his hat-trick with 18 minutes left, plucking a long ball out of the air to dance over.
Showing he is human after all, Shepherd missed the conversion and as the game wore on, both sides made a raft of changes. This saw Devon go in search of points that their efforts would have merited, but Cornwall held firm and in the final five minutes, scored two further tries.
Pint-sized winger Danny Tyrrell, who, along with Shepherd, has enjoyed a stellar season for St Austell, scored a try which drew a huge cheer from the partisan Tregorrick Park crowd. Shepherd nailed a wonderful touchline conversion but Cornwall werenât quite ready to put their collective cues on the rack yet.
In the dying embers, Camborne flanker Jordan Nicholls broke down the middle and after outpacing the would-be Devon defence, dotted down under the sticks. The game then ended as it started with Shepherd scoring points for Cornwall as he slotted over his fifth conversion from seven attempts.
Although sterner tests will surely await Cornwall as they look to defend their County Championship campaign when it starts in May, their 2023 campaign has started in the best possible fashion with victory over Devon and local bragging rights secured.
Match information
Cornwall: Shepherd, Kessell, Parsons, Semmens, Levick, Simmonds, Boyce; Job, Davey, Prowse, Vian, Heazelton, Taylor, Nicholls, Inch. Replacements: Bentham, Southworth, Lambourn, Edwards, Jolly, Brownfield, Sidwell, Tyrrell.
Tries: Shepherd (11, 26, 63), Simmonds (52), Jolly (57), Tyrrell (76), Nicholls (79). Conversions: Shepherd 5/7
Yellow card: Inch (39)
Devon: Hellier, Holwill, Brown, Smith, Squire, McKee, Gibbs; White, Barmaschone, Burbage, Woodhead, Garratt, Armstrong, OâNeil, McGrattan. Replacements: Marchant, Blyth, Turner, Cave, Oxland, Sharples, Fear, Legg, Charlton.
Referee: James Milliner (RFU)
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đ Churcher lauds âhugely impressive performancesâ in Tamar Cup triumph
By Gareth Davies at Tregorrick Park
Coach Marek Churcher hailed Cornwallâs defensive display as the Duchy retained the Tamar Cup with a 45-0 whitewash of Devon at Tregorrick Park.
In front of a bumper four-figure crowd, Cornwall were brilliantly led by home favourite Matt Shepherd who bagged a fine hat-trick of tries.
Further scores from Camborne trio Aaron Simmonds, Liam Jolly and Jordan Nicholls, along with a single score from St Austellâs Danny Tyrrell saw Cornwall ease home.
However, a spirited Devon side only trailed 12-0 at the break and before the turnaround, they fully tested the Cornwall line but found the hosts a tough nut to crack. Churcherâs troops, who were forced to play a man light for 10 minutes when Mark Vian was sent to the sin bin, weathered the storm brilliantly and more of the same in the second stanza saw Devon fail to trouble the scoreboard.Â
âWe did one little drill in the warm-up and itâs probably the best defensive display I have seen for a while,â he said, speaking exclusively to Cornwall Sports Media at full-time. âOur preparation on Monday night was about a little bit of system and the belief as a group of players to wear the badge. So to score 40-odd points, in those conditions was a good outing with some hugely impressive performances.
âThere are players playing Level Seven rugby out there and I am going to use one example in Josh Semmens. He was an absolute brute in the centre giving us good go forward ball, but also gave us his ability with ball in hand through accuracy and distribution.
âThere were great performances from everyone and we called up James Lambourn yesterday, but he went out there and put in a huge shift for the last 20 minutes at tight head.
âIt gives us huge problems, but good problems as a coaching group going into the County Championship. Iâm super excited to hopefully be working with these guys again sometime soon.â
Despite Cornwallâs fine showing against their fiercest local foes, Churcher acknowledged the strength of the opposition his side faced, whilst admitting that the hard work needed to retain the Bill Beaumont Cup will begin in earnest later in the spring.Â
âWhen we get to the end of April we have to start again,â he added. âCredit to Devon for putting a side out in tough conditions, under pressure with clubs not releasing players and players not wanting to play. That was a good run out for our guys, but weâll come to the end of April, when everyone has finished playing and then pick a squad.
âIt will then be a re-focus in training to perform in the County Championship games.â
đ¸ View Colin Bradburyâs full set of images from the Tamar Cup here
ăă âPlaying for Cornwall is very specialâ â Shepherd
By Gareth Davies at Tregorrick Park
Cornwall star Matt Shepherd heaped praise on the efforts of his team-mates after the Duchyâs 45-0 Tamar Cup victory over Devon.
The 32-year-old has been instrumental in St Austellâs Regional 2 South West title winning campaign and he captained Cornwall on home soil in front of a typically vocal and partisan crowd.
And Shepherd who unsurprisingly picked of the Man of the Match award, didnât disappoint those of a St Austell persuasion who braved the wet and windy conditions with a brilliant hat-trick.
Shepherd wasnât the only Saint to cross the whitewash as pint-sized winger Danny Tyrrell, on as a second half replacement, also touched down.
âItâs credit to the boys because we dug in during the first half, against the wind to only go in at 12-0,â he said, speaking exclusively to Cornwall Sports Media at full-time. âWe spoke about what we needed to do and the boys put in some good individual performances and there was a team performance. We couldnât have asked for anything better.
âWe had an hour session on Monday in heavy rain and torrential conditions. We showed what we can do in an hour tonight, so let's see what we can do in five, six, seven, eight hours. We are a young team that wants to play rugby which is fantastic.
âWe have got to a position in the season where everyone is probably hanging on a bit. To pull a shirt on that means so much to everyone and to play for our county is very special. In the circle afterwards, we were saying that not many people get the opportunity to pull (on a Cornwall shirt) it on and we have done that tonight.â
Despite Shepherdâs remarkable try-scoring feats, which has resulted in 36 tries in all competitions for club and county this term, he has enjoyed arguably his best club season without his father Bernie watching on from his customary balcony spot at Tregorrick Park.
A stalwart of both St Austell and Cornish rugby as a whole for decades, Bernie passed away in May 2022 and a clearly moved Shepherd was in reflective mood when asked on his emotions of leading the Black and Gold on home soil.Â
âRunning onto the pitch, looking up at my dadâs balcony, it brought back some memories,â he added. âIt was outstanding to do it for Cornwall and the county. We have a bunch of passionate supporters and that showed today.â
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đŁď¸ St Austell selections show great progress â Saints chairman
By Gareth Davies at Tregorrick Park
St Austell chief Paul Hayes says that nine members of the Tregorrick Park outfit representing Cornwall in their Tamar Cup triumph over Devon demonstrates that Saints are making âgreat progressâ.
On the back of St Austellâs Regional 2 South West title triumph in 2022/23, along with the club being the only side in Cornwall to regularly field three senior Saturday sides, it was no surprise to see the Duchy selectors chose a whole host of St Austell players.
Captained by Matt Shepherd, the Cornwall side, which ran out 45-0 winners in a match played at Tregorrick Park, contained Dan Job, Miles Davey, Mark Vian, Cam Taylor, Andy Inch, CJ Boyce and Sam Parsons. The Saints contingent was completed by Danny Tyrrell who was thrust into the fray as a second-half replacement and was rewarded with a trademark try.Â
âWe have very strong support for the Cornwall county side at St Austell and over the years weâve had players lucky enough to pull on the black and gold,â Hayes said, speaking exclusively to Cornwall Sports Media. âTo have so many selected for the Tamar Cup shows the great progress we are making as a club and we hope it is a stepping stone for selection into the full county squad.â
Every St Austell player contributed in a routine win for the Duchy, although it was skipper Shepherd who caught the eye with a hat-trick of tries and five conversions.Â
Finishing with 25 points overall, Shepherd was named Man of the Match with Hayes praising the 32-year-oldâs endeavours since he first broke through into the St Austell first team over a decade ago.Â
âHe has proved it in the past for Cornwall and he has been a fantastic player for this club,â Hayes remarked. âI remember him as a young lad, 17 years of age, making his first senior start. I have total respect for the commitment, determination and hard work, to maximise the talent he has got.
âThe old saying is that if you mix talent and hard work you get achievement and Matt has been Cornwallâs hero on several occasions at Twickenham. I hope he has another successful season for the black and gold.â
A tremendous crowd, well in excess of 1,000, packed the Tregorrick Park grandstand to the rafters, further demonstrating that county rugby is very much alive and kicking here in the Duchy.
Those sentiments were very much echoed by Hayes, who thanked other counties, predominantly in the north of England for holding similar views on county rugby to those here in the Duchy.
However, Hayes says that the Rugby Football Union and the corridors of power at Twickenham should be doing more to promote county rugby and further enhance grassroots rugby.Â
âCounty rugby galvanises people in the county and brings everyone together and gives them a purpose,â he added. âIt is a sense of pride, belief and belonging.
âTo put the county on a national stage is a wonderful thing and I am delighted that the CRFU have steadfastly supported the County Championship.
âI know there were plans to downgrade it further, but Cornwall, alongside some of our northern counties, have stood shoulder to shoulder to keep the competition going.
âAnd Iâm hoping as covid becomes ever more in the rear view mirror, other counties step up and in the future it will come back to being a fantastic competition for players at below Championship level.
âIt gives them a chance to show what great rugby players they are and play in great stadiums and on great occasions.
âIt is something that should be supported to drive community rugby on and I donât think the RFU do that enough.â
The match also provided a welcome boost to the St Austell club coffers with the club hosting what could be its last home first team fixture on March 4, owing to a shortened season after the league system was restructured 12 months ago.
Saints were due to play in a Cornwall County Cup tie at Penryn this coming Saturday but the Borough have forfeited the tie resulting in an away walkover. Hayesâ troops have also entered into the Papa Johns National Cup, but amid farcical planning and execution from the RFU, St Austell are still none the wiser as to who they will play, when they play and where.Â
âWe live in the real world and while we are an amateur club in an amateur sport, we still have to pay the bills and those bills have gone extremely high,â he said. âWe are in a state of flux at the moment because we havenât had a home fixture since March 4 and we donât currently have a fixture list for April yet.
âWe are eagerly looking forward to the Papa Johns National Cup competition and the draw, to find out what that might bring us, but we could do without the uncertainty.
âThe restructure, as welcome as it was in some respects, has reduced the number of home games by two which has a significant impact on clubs like ours. We are hearing that some clubs are coming to a halt and not entering the national cup competition so I worry about the retention of players.
âBut that is a concern for another day and we are looking forward to seeing the St Piran fly here and Cornwall match the success that we have had at home, by remaining unbeaten and itâs great to see the Gold and Black add to that.â
đ Whatâs on this weekend
đChampionship: Saturday, 3pm: London Scottish v Cornish Pirates.
đNational League 2 West: Saturday, 2.15pm: Newport (Salop) v Redruth.
đRegional 1 South West: Saturday: Lydney v Camborne.
đCounties 1 Western West: Saturday: Tiverton v Bude; Wiveliscombe v Falmouth.
đCounties 2 Cornwall: Saturday: Liskeard-Looe v Redruth II.
đCornwall Clubs Cup: Saturday: Bodmin v Helston; St Just v Saltash.
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