DESPITE Cornwall running in an impressive 13 tries in their big 79-19 victory over Somerset in the Under-20 County Championship Jason Leonard Cup, Devon’s single point victory against Gloucestershire in Cheltenham confirmed them as pool winners and it is they who now advance to a South-West play-off against Dorset & Wilts on May 7, writes Bill Hooper at the Recreation ground, Camborne.

One interesting spectator at the game was the recently appointed Cornwall Women’s captain Amy Bunt. 

Knowing that their fate was not totally in their hands, Cornwall set about the job in-hand, to win and by as many points as they could score.

It did not take long for Cornwall to put the Camborne scorer to work. Good play from No.8 Connor Triggs put his wing Lewis Bostock clear, the Truro flyer finished in style, fly-half Nat Dart kicking the first of his six successful conversions.

Bostock then turned provider for Dart just two minutes later with some good play from forwards and backs in the build up.

Ollie Lamb made a good break for Somerset, but flanker Ben Jones did remarkably well to cover for Cornwall.

Hooker Matt Pritchard and Bostock were involved in the build up to scrum-half Joe Walker’s try, before Pritchard secured the bonus-point score with aplomb under the posts.

Cornwall’s free-flowing rugby saw further tries before half-time from skipper Joss Pascoe, from a quickly-taken tap penalty and impressive St Ives lock Will Perkin.

Somerset finally troubled the scoreboard on half-time with a good try from their No.8 Kieran Leach bettered by Lamb to leave the score 38-7 to Cornwall at half-time.

Cornwall began the second period strongly with the impressive Jones scoring after several phases.

3pm arrived with a cacophony of mobile phones sounding the national alert, to the great amusement of the crowd.

Triggs was the next to get his name on the scoresheet following a powerful break from Perkin. 

Zach Driscoll-Pike pulled a try back for the visitors with Lamb again on the money with the extras.

Both sides turned to their benches; some close quarter work near the Somerset line was finished off strongly by prop Rowan Lawrence.

Further Cornish tries came from Harvey Penhallurick, Peter Harris,Fin Deavin and finally Jack Statton, with Ben Rosevear adding a conversion.

After the game coach Richie Kevern was pleased with his side’s performance. He said. “It was a great way to finish, we went out to do a number today, we knew we had to run up a big score and hope Gloucestershire could do us a favour, we did our part but Devon scored a late try to win their game and it is they who go forward.

"I think we saw today the fruits of the hard work put in by the lads, some of their play was simply breathtaking. I am sure some will be looking to Divisional representation going forward.”

Cornwall U.20: H Penhallurick (Falmouth), L Bostock (Truro), J Pascoe (Truro, capt), J Stanlake (St Austell), L Surridge (Camborne), N Dart (Camborne), J Walker (Falmouth); M Cardwell (Pirates Ams), M Pritchard (Falmouth), M Boothby, J Maunder (both St Austell), W Perkin (St Ives), W Eddy (Pirates Ams), B Jones (Perranporth), C Triggs (Truro). Replacements: P Harris (St Austell), A Harris (St Just), R Lawrence, J Peck, B Rosevear, F Deavin (all Falmouth), J Statton (Launceston). 

Cornwall scores: Tries – Bostock, Dart, Walker, Pritchard, Pascoe, Perkin, Jones, Triggs, Lawrence, Penhallurick, P. Harris, Deavin, Statton, Cons – Dart 6, Rosevear.