Cornish Pirates target Championship Cup success as league campaign falters

Saturday's loss to Jersey Reds was Cornish Pirates' eighth in 14 league games this season

Cornish Pirates are targeting Championship Cup success to try and boost their faltering league campaign.

The Penzance-based side are eighth in the Championship following back-to-back losses to Bedford and Jersey.

But they are nine points clear at the top of their group in the Cup ahead of the final three matches.

"We want to do as well as we can in the Cup and we're ambitious to get right through, and you never know, possibly win it," said coach Alan Paver.

"It's important that we put out a side to reflect that and we're desperate to achieve something this season and we feel the Cup match could be the platform to do it.

"That said, we also want to make sure we're in a strong position league-wise, so we will use that momentum to launch back into the league," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.

The 55-13 loss at Bedford last month was Pirates' heaviest league defeat in almost eight years, although they did rally to get within nine points of title-chasers Jersey Reds at the Mennaye last week.

But in the Cup, the Pirates have impressed, securing bonus-point wins in all three of their games, meaning that one more victory could be enough to secure top spot, ahead of the visit of Richmond to the Mennaye on Saturday.

"It gives you a chance as well to go a bit more experimental with your selection," added Paver.

"You get lots of guys who are chomping at the bit for the exposure and that normally creates its own excitement and own drama.

"We are placed well in the pool and we do feel we're capable of coming out of it in a very strong position.

"We obviously respect the teams that we're playing and you've got to beat 23 motivated men each week, but for us this is important.

"It's important for our supporters and the club because the league hasn't gone quite to plan, for various reasons, and we need to create that excitement back in and around the club and we feel the Cup's a perfect opportunity to do that."