On just the second weekend of this 2014/15 Greene King IPA Championship, a former talisman at Redruth, Kiwi No 8 Mark Bright, scored a second hat-trick of the season for his London Scottish side. 

It was quite an achievement in a man-of-the-match performance, but also against a Pirates team that once again competed admirably throughout.
That the Pirates never lacked for endeavour was indeed a positive, but after going 6-0 up thanks to two successful penalty strikes from fly-half Kieran Hallett, they will also be naturally disappointed to have ultimately emerged with no points from this game.

The visitors suffered two early blows, and literally so. Another former 'Reds' man, centre PJ Gidlow, was worryingly stretchered off, and not long after that former Pirates prop Ben Prescott was also forced to depart proceedings. The latter was replaced by another former 'Pirate', Max Maidment.

A penalty from full-back Peter Lydon registered the first points of the afternoon for London Scottish, but he was soon yellow-carded. Given a chance to inflict a little extra punishment, Hallett duly obliged, his third penalty opening up a six points gap once more.

Both sides had infringed at scrum time, whilst in the line-out the exiles posed a real threat with their catch and drive. Mounting one potent attack to the clubhouse corner saw Bright score the first of his three tries, but unconverted - fly-half Lee Millar's effort sailed wide - it was not enough to put them ahead. Indeed, after an even period of play the Pirates managed to extend their lead, fine running and timing of his pass by centre Tom Riley resulting in an excellent try scored  by wing Kyle Moyle at the Newlyn gate corner.

14-8 looked a likely half-time score, but after home prop Paul Andrew was sin-binned Bright powered his way to the line once more. Lydon's conversion attempt appeared to have missed, so the scoreboard read 14-13 at the break.

The popular Cadgwith Singers had sang on the field pre-match, whilst during the interval there was a 'Tartan Challenge', whereby suitably attired supporters from both sides lined up in front of the main grandstand. Anita George kindly judged an event which saw Sandy Clark win a bottle of bubbly as a representative of the exiles team, and Mike Knutton and Mr Bumbles from the Falmouth Marine Band share a bottle as the equal best Cornish Pirates supporters.

Back to the rugby, and an announcement over the tannoy system advised that Lydon's conversion kick at the end of the first period was actually successful, meaning that the quickly adjusted scoreboard now read 14-15, thus confirming that London Scottish were now in front for the first time in the match.

Play that followed was high tempo in the heat, the effort from both sides immense and there was no quarter given.

It took just past the hour mark before the scoreboard operator was troubled once more, when Bright completed his hat-trick. Having played for the England Sevens team in the Commonwealth Games, the experienced performer who will be 36 at the end of this month has just got better and better.

At 14-20 it was still game on, but a try for London Scottish wing Miles Mantella, converted by Lydon, who also then added a penalty, all but confirmed the inevitable.

As they had the previous week, the Pirates kept going right to the very end, so it was a small but just reward when scrum-half Tom Kessell stretched to score an unconverted try to the right of the Penzance posts.

Speaking after the game the Cornish Pirates Director of Rugby, Ian Davies, said:“The end result was probably fair but our work-rate was also again right up there and we showed some good attacking intent.

“As for Mark Bright, he is probably the best player, if not the best forward, in the Championship. However, despite his contribution I thought we competed well and we nullified a lot of what they wanted to do.”

Cornish Pirates: 15 Matt Evans, 14 Kieran Goss (Luke Jones 73), 13 Tom Riley, 12 Rheon James, 11 Kyle Moyle, 10 Kieran Hallett (Bertie Hopkin 73), 9 Tom Kessell; 1 Paul Andrew (Jamal Ford-Robinson 63), 2 Tom Channon (Aaron Carpenter 32), 3 Adam Jamieson (Tyler Gendall 54), 4 Marcus Garratt (Will Graulich 48), 5 Darren Barry, 6 Chris Morgan (capt), 7 Alex Cheesman (Matt Bolwell 34, Jamal Ford-Robinson 41-48), 8 Laurie McGlone.
Yellow card: Andrew.
Tries: Moyle, Kessell. Pens: Hallett (3).
London Scottish Tries: Bright (3), Mantella. Cons: Lydon (2). Pens: Lydon (2).
Referee: Tom Foley (RFU). 
Attendance: 1,209.