THE Cornish Pirates resume their bid to reach the Champ Rugby play-offs tomorrow when they visit runaway leaders Ealing Trailfinders (3pm).

Ealing have won all 23 games and will finish the regular season top whatever happens, while a new-look Pirates side need to get any reward they can heading into the final two games of the season in May against Coventry and Hartpury.

Their task isn’t helped by the fact that lock Matt Cannon, back-rower Tomi Agbongbon and winger Harry Yates are all ineligble against their parent club, while there are several absentees including scrum-half Dan Hiscocks.

However, the coaching staff have bolstered numbers this week with two loan signings from Exeter Chiefs in West Cornwall’s own Oscar Beckerleg who started his career at Penzance & Newlyn, and fly-half Ben Coen, who has also turned out for England Under 20s.

Another Chief, Harry Ascherl comes into the starting line-up for Joe Elderkin at inside-centre, while Yates’ absence allows Matty Ward to return to the starting XV.

The front-row of Billy Young, Morgan Nelson and Alfie Petch remains unchanged, while Beckerleg starts in the second-row alongside Milo Hallam.

Skipper Alex Everett reverts to No.8 for Agbongbon, with Rory Suttor and Jack Forsythe returning to the starting XV as the flankers.

Coen is on the bench alongside Welsh scrum-half Orson James and full-back Angus Mawson, with five forwards named including flanker John Stevens.

Looking ahead to the game, coach Joe Walsh said: ““Firstly, I felt that last Saturday’s win against Chinnor was our most satisfying of the season. They are quality team, so for us to put on such a performance was really pleasing and it sets us up for our last few games.

“As for this week, Ealing will clearly provide tough opposition, but despite suffering a hefty defeat away against them last year we did score four good tries and came away with a point.

“We will obviously miss the three players who are unable to feature for us this weekend. However, we will be doing the best to populate that space, and I am sure the guys who go out there will want to rip in and put up a good performance in a Pirates jersey, remembering too that anything can happen on the day.”

Joe added: “With reference to the fresh inclusions in our 23, we are once again grateful to Exeter Chiefs for helping to bolster our selected squad. They are gifted young players, who we have quickly endeavoured to get bedded in and to get a grasp of what we are aiming for.”

CORNISH PIRATES: Iwan Price-Thomas; Arthur Relton, Chester Ribbons, Harry Ascherl, Matty Ward; Arwel Robson, Will Becconsall; Billy Young, Morgan Nelson, Alfie Petch; Milo Hallam, Oscar Beckerleg; Rory Suttor, Jack Forsythe, Alex Everett (capt). Replacements: Matt Pritchard, Ollie Andrews, Ben Woodmansey, John Stevens, Sol Moody, Orson James, Ben Coen, Angus Mawson.