GAVIN Cattle believes his side are hitting form at exactly the right time after the Cornish Pirates powered to a fifth straight win with a ruthless 66-13 demolition of Richmond – a result that keeps them firmly in the Championship play-off picture.

“We knew we had to be on it mentally today because we’ve come unstuck here before,” said Cattle. “To come away with five points like that is really pleasing. I didn’t expect a scoreline like that, but I’m delighted with how we applied ourselves.”

On a sunlit afternoon at the Richmond Athletic Ground, the Pirates produced one of their most complete performances of the season, running in ten tries to overwhelm their hosts and climb into fifth place in the table.

Richmond made the brighter start, with full-back Callum Grieve landing an early penalty, but that only served to spark the Pirates into life. Hooker Morgan Nelson crashed over for the visitors’ opening try, setting the tone for a dominant first-half display built on physicality and precision.

Cattle was particularly pleased with how his side imposed their game. “We shifted the point of contact and played with real power,” he said. “At times we maybe tried to move it too early, but once we got our main carriers on the ball and created those one-on-ones, we looked really dangerous.”

Flanker Luke Ratcliff was at the heart of that momentum, grabbing two tries as the Pirates’ forward pack began to take control. Nelson added his second before lock Milo Hallam crossed to extend the advantage.

With fly-half Arwel Robson dictating play and adding the conversions, the Pirates stormed into a commanding 33-6 half-time lead, leaving little doubt about the direction of the contest.

The visitors picked up where they left off after the break. Centre Chester Ribbons made a decisive midfield break before releasing scrum-half Dan Hiscocks, who finished smartly to stretch the lead further.

A penalty try soon followed as Richmond struggled to contain the relentless pressure, and when wing Arthur Relton crossed for another converted score, the Pirates surged past the 50-point mark.

Despite the convincing margin, Cattle admitted he was not entirely satisfied with his side’s second-half intensity. “There were moments where we dropped off,” he said. “Some of our defensive sets weren’t acceptable, and we lost focus a little bit, but we regathered ourselves well.”

Richmond did manage a consolation try through replacement Callum Torpey, but it proved little more than a brief interruption. The Pirates finished strongly, with replacement Matty Ward adding another before hooker Sol Moody crossed late on for his 13th try of the season.

The result not only completed a league double over Richmond but also saw the Pirates pass 60 points in a Championship match for the first time this season.

While the scoreline was eye-catching, Cattle was quick to stress the bigger picture. “It’s not just about the points, it’s about the way we’re playing and building momentum,” he said. “We’re in a good place, but there’s still a lot of work to do.”

That work continues with a demanding run-in, including a home clash with Worcester Warriors and a trip to Bedford Blues next up.

“We won’t look too far ahead, but those are big challenges,” Cattle added.

Cornish Pirates: Angus Mawson; Arthur Relton, Chester Ribbons, Harry Yates, Ben Cambriani (Matt Ward 52); Arwel Robson (Louie Sinclair 64), Dan Hiscocks (Will Becconsall 49); James French (Matt Pritchard 64), Morgan Nelson (Sol Moody 49), Alfie Petch (Ben Woodmansey 62); Milo Hallam, Matt Cannon (Josh King 52); Alex Everett (c), Luke Ratcliff (John Stevens 52), Tomi Agbongbon.

Tries: Nelson (2), Ratcliff (2), Hallam, Hiscocks, penalty try, Relton, Ward, Moody; Conversions: Robson (6), Sinclair.