CORNISH Pirates joint head coach Alan Paver has heaped praise on his squad following a stunning surge up the Championship table, crediting their relentless work ethic - particularly in the second half of the season - for their current top-four standing.

The Pirates have enjoyed a purple patch in recent weeks, stringing together a series of dominant performances that have turned early-season inconsistency into a powerful conclusion to the campaign.

With each match, the cohesion, discipline and intensity of the squad have grown - and Paver, who along with Gavin Cattle agreed a new coaching contract for next season, is quick to point to the players’ commitment behind the scenes.

“I think our guys have done extremely well, especially in the second half of the season to build momentum,” he said. “It’s a pattern we’ve seen and experienced before, although there is no certainty it’s going to happen. However, the present group have put a lot of hard work in - and they’ve been getting what they deserve.

“Looking to Saturday, there is an expectation and, of course, we should be confident, but at the same time we also know we have to respect Ampthill and what is in front of us.

“You don’t want to down play things, because we are at home, but our aim is to prepare well in the training week and then see what happens on the day.”

With just one defeat in their last seven Championship fixtures, the Pirates have propelled themselves into the top four with sights still very much on going higher between now and the end of the season. Last week’s 26-17 victory over Hartpury came just a week after they downed Coventry 21-14 on their own patch.

Not surprisingly, the Pirates stick with their winning formula, which will include winger Matt McNab, who is set to make his 50th appearance for the club.

CORNISH PIRATES: Will Trewin; Robin Wedlake, Chester Ribbons, Joe Elderkin, Matt McNab; Bruce Houston, Dan Hiscocks; Billy Young, Matt Pritchard, James French; Charlie Rice, Josh King; Matt Cannon, Jack Forsythe, Alex Everett (capt). Replacements: Harry Hocking, Jenson Boughton, Ben Woodmansey, Fintan Coleman, Tomi Agbongbon, Will Rigelsford, Iwan Jenkins, Harry Yates.