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REPORT | Six try Blues down Pirates
Bedford Blues made it two from two in pre-season thanks to a gritty 38-26 victory over Cornish Pirates down in Penzance.
It was a more than useful exercise as Blues continue to ramp up for 25/26 Champ Rugby - results don't always matter in pre-season, but this felt like one the coaches would have taken a lot of pride from.
Never easy to win on the Cornish coast, Blues have now made it four on the spin down at Mennaye Field, but the real litmus test will come down on the same turf in December with league points at stake. With that game also being on a Friday night, always useful to have a bit of a recce and work out the best travelling logistics to get a result.
Despite a late scare from a resurgent Pirates, the result was never really in too much doubt after Blues waved a little onslaught at the start of proceedings and gradually got better and better as the game wore on.
It was just 12-7 at the break after a first back in Blues colours for Ryan Hutler and the customary try from the mercurial Dean Adamson, before Mike Rayer's men released the shackles in the second half to score four tries in the space of 16 minutes to get the job done.
Nicholas Finch scored his first for the club, while Will Maisey finished off a sumptous attack down the left. Fred Tuilagi and Joey Conway also chipped in with pick and go tries.
Amid all the good stuff, there will be things that the squad will want to iron out of their game ahead of the league season. Discipline was a problem at times - you don't often see two yellow cards in a pre-season fixture - and while for 60 minutes in the middle they were irresistible, the top and tail sections of the game will come under scrutiny.
But overall, another crucial opportunity to get together as a team on and off the field, with the game coming as part of a weekend in Newquay for squad camaraderie - a coasteering exercise is planned for Saturday. Important for the lads to get together and enjoy each other's company.
The challenges keep coming with the Mobbs Memorial Match at Goldington Road under the Friday Night Lights, facing off in the annual fixture against European finalists, Northampton Saints. Buy tickets here.
