The Mandurah Pirates U20s finished second in the Cockburn 7s tournament last weekend.
Camera IconThe Mandurah Pirates U20s finished second in the Cockburn 7s tournament last weekend. Credit: Supplied/Supplied

Pirates run aground

Declan ByrneMandurah Coastal Times

In a pool of five teams the Pirates made short work of their opening two opponents, Southern Lions and |Bunbury, racking up some excellent tries.

Their third game was a tougher encounter against West Scarborough but the Pirates battled to the end and were rewarded with a late try to seal the game 14-5.

The last pool game was against Rockingham, who were also to be the Pirates’ opponents in the final.

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In the pool game, with the final on their minds both teams seemed reluctant to pressure each other and the Pirates took out the encounter 20-15.

In the final the pace and tackling was much more ferocious.

The Pirates took an early lead and pressed for most of the first half but could not get the last pass off to increase their lead.

This proved costly as Rockingham stormed back in the second half with three quick tries.

With time running out, a late try from the Pirates was not enough to take back the lead, with Rockingham winning a very tight game.

It caps a solid pre-season for the Pirates, with the U20s finishing runners up in this tournament after the seniors won the Busselton sevens two weeks ago, ironically against Rockingham in the final.

Next up is a trip to Geraldton for a 10-a-side competition before the main season begins.

For more information about senior and junior rugby union, call Kevin on 0407 449 929.