Bedford Blues battled to a 36-12 victory against Cornish Pirates at Goldington Road to maintain third place in Champ Rugby, scoring five tries in an attritional affair against their wasteful opposition.
3,295 fans were in attendance on a bumper weekend of rugby union, in which the Blues defended resolutely in the face of a lot of Pirates pressure, taking their chances when they arrived to soar clear to a maximum point win.
Bedford Blues started the day third in Champ Rugby after a comfortable victory against Cambridge last time out, one point off Worcester Warriors in second, who continue to hold the upper hand in the race for a home play-off semi final.
Read: Eight-try Bedford Blues bounce back with convincing Cambridge win
Cornish Pirates started the day in the final play-off spot in sixth, despite a home defeat against Worcester last weekend in a game more notable for the six-match ban handed to Pirates co-head coach, Alan Paver for an altercation with former Blues man, Jake Garside.
Paver will miss all of the Pirates’ remaining regular league fixtures, plus the first of any play-off encounters, and after a mightily frustrating day for the visitors from Penzance, the Pirates may have wished he was present to guide them.
Blues take control
The majority of the opening ten minutes were played deep inside Bedford territory, with the Blues unable to escape their own 22, but some good defending at the set piece, plus a pair of interceptions from Amena Caqusau kept the Pirates out.
Caqusau’s second interception finally led to the Blues’ first period of pressure, and come the 19-minute mark, they had a valuable lead courtesy of Fyn Brown’s try, with Will Maisey’s conversion earning Bedford a 7-0 advantage.
That lead was doubled seven minutes later, as an overthrown Pirates lineout gifted the Blues possession, and after a number of phases and a penalty advantage, the ball found its way to Lucas Titherington who bundled his way over the whitewash on his 50th appearance for the club.
A Maisey penalty extended the lead to 17-0 shortly after the half hour mark, but the Pirates were on the board five minutes before half-time as hooker, Sol Moody was dragged over the try line after another sustained period of pressure for the visitors.
Arwel Robson’s missed conversion left the scoreline at 17-5, and it looked as if that was to be the score at half-time, only for some Blues joué to beat the whistle.
Fast ball made its way out left into the hands of Michael Le Bourgeois, and his inch perfect grubber found Dean Adamson, who was left with the simple task of dotting down his 16th try of the season.
With another excellent conversion from man of the match Maisey, the Blues led 24-5 at the break.
Pirates pressure amounts to nothing
On balance, the first half was fairly even and merely a case of the Blues taking their chances, and the second period began in similar fashion as the Pirates pounced on Bedford territory.
Again, the Blues kept them out with solid defence, although at the expense of Rory Ward who went off with a shoulder injury, and again, Bedford were gifted the chance to gain their bonus point soon after.
Another overthrown lineout from the Pirates – this time a mere five metres from their own try line – found its way to Tommy Herman, and in an instant, the ball was in the hands of Oisin Heffernan who bundled over Bedford’s fourth.
The Pirates responded with a series of penalties in front of Bedford’s posts; a series that included a sin-binning for Heffernan, but once more the Pirates were unable to make their pressure count, handing back possession after failing to tap a tap and go penalty.
By the hour mark, the Pirates had set up camp in Bedford territory and were dominating the ball, but their final touch continued to elude them, as Alex Everett’s final pass to Matty Ward on the left wing flew out, with the try line at the winger’s mercy.
Ward’s frustrated outburst at his captain typified the Pirates’ afternoon as they failed to convert any of their attacking promise into points.
Further chances for the visitors came and went; Milo Hallam the latest to spill when just a metre from the try line, and with the clock counting down, time was running out for Cornish Pirates to make an impact.
Their try eventually came after 71 minutes via a penalty that also saw George Worth sin-binned, but Everett’s score was too little too late with the scoreline at 31-12.
Despite facing a second half bombardment, it was the Blues who would have the final say, as the ball worked out left to Adamson who may have had a brace in his sights, but was forced to pass to Maisey, who added the finishing touches.
Maisey’s try, which made him the sixth man in history to go past 1,000 points for Bedford Blues, was the final act of a compelling game, in which the scoreboard didn’t reflect the stats played out on the pitch.
Blues stay third
The 36-12 triumph keeps Bedford Blues third in the division, with Worcester Warriors seeing off Richmond 41-29 in the capital to stay second.
Elsewhere, Ealing battled back from a 14-5 half-time deficit at Nottingham to maintain their 100% record, while Coventry smashed Caldy 69-12 to keep up the pace in fourth.
There were also victories for Hartpury and Chinnor in the race for the final play-off spots, whilst the most surprising result came from Olney Field where Ampthill thrashed Doncaster Knights 61-17.
Bedford’s win all but makes certain their place in the season-ending play-offs, but whether they will gain an automatic semi-final spot will depend on the form of Worcester Warriors, who Bedford Blues travel to next Saturday (11 March).
That tie at the Sixways Stadium may have a huge say in the final schedule for Champ Rugby’s play-offs come May, but for now, Mike Rayer and his men can enjoy what was an attritional victory against the Pirates.
