Other than going to Cornwall on holiday once a year as a kid, I didn’t have any connection to the county but that is where my professional journey started. I’d played England Counties that summer under Harvey Biljon, the Pirates backs coach, and there were rumours about him going to Bristol, so when he rang me and said, ‘do you want an opportunity?’, I was mad keen at first but then he told me it was down in Cornwall. I hesitated because I was quite well set playing Minor Counties cricket with Lincolnshire and semi-pro rugby and initially they only offered me a one-year contract. But I said if I am going to go all the way down there I wanted a two-year contract. They agreed and I gave it a go. I was 25 when the season actually started so I was quite old to begin my pro rugby career but I thought even if I only had two years at it, at least I’d tried.
I loved it down there. We had a three-year plan to get into the Premiership but I think we peaked a season too soon. Our squad was ridiculously good. I think you could have made a whole team up of players who ended up signing for clubs in the Premiership. Dave Ward is probably one of the best players I’ve ever played with and is such a legend. He never tackled, he’d just go for the ball and try and rip it, and nine times out of 10, it would work. Look at Blair Cowan, he ended up playing for Scotland, we had Gav Cattle and Paves (Alan Paver) who are coaching the Pirates now and Jonny Bentley, who joined me at Gloucester, was one hell of a player at 10. The Championship Dream XV was stacked full of Pirates players in the two years we reached the Championship final and it was a nice feeling to be named in it twice.
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent ? Logg på
Denne historien er fra July 16, 2023-utgaven av The Rugby Paper.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
Ten-try Chiefs show Pirates no mercy
TEN-TRY Exeter inflicted the backlash from six successive defeats in their worst ever start to a Premiership season on a young Pirates side suffering their own problems in the Championship.
South America look to keep on building
AS Sebastián Piñeyrúa's historic six-year term as President of Rugby Sudamérica comes to an end, his replacement shows no signs of slowing down.
Scarratt excited by new pathway
ENGLAND centurion Emily Scarratt is delighted with the new women's BUCS programme which aims to provide a smoother pathway for young aspiring female players.
Baxter: I want to make things better
ROB Baxter will not be walking away from Exeter, the only club still looking for a Premiership victory this season, believing he can get the Chiefs back on track and he cannot bear the thought of anyone else doing the job.
Pearce walks in his father's footsteps
PADDY Pearce is living a dream after emulating his father and great-uncle by playing for the club he supported as a boy, Bristol.
New England group will cause uncertainty
SO JUST when we thought that everything was getting sorted between the RFU, the clubs and players, a number of new agreements and a new group raises its head.
Galthie turns his sights to the future
FRANCE head coach Fabien Galthie offered the clearest hint yet of Les Bleus' future on Wednesday, when he released 19 players back F to their clubs for the ninth and final Top 14 round before the international break.
Gilmore has tightened up our defence - Anderson
CAMERON Anderson has hailed the impact made by defence coach Jason Gilmore, below, since he arrived at The Stoop in the summer.
Ampthill given 11-try lesson in class from Bath
BATH secured a thumping away success in the opening match of their Premiership Rugby Cup campaign against Ampthill at Dillingham Park.
New faces take the plaudits for Saints
NORTHAMPTON handed out a thorough lesson to a tame Leicester team in this one-sided East Midlands derby to launch the Premiership Cup.