Cornish Pirates can improve despite 61-22 Ampthill win says Gavin Cattle

Morgan Nelson scored a hat-trick for Pirates

Cornish Pirates coach Gavin Cattle says his side can improve despite scoring nine tries in a 61-22 win at Ampthill.

The game was in the balance with Pirates leading 21-17 at half time, but six second-half tries ensured a first league victory since mid-January as Morgan Nelson got a hat-trick.

"It was a bit of an arm wrestle when we got to half time," Cattle said.

"We got a bit more possession in that second half through exiting our own half a bit cleaner.

"In the first half we struggled from kick off to clear our lines - every time we were in our own third we gifted field position and our defensive sets beyond that just weren't good enough.

"We rectified it at half time and you can see by the scoreline that we put a few phases together and scored some tries," he told BBC Radio Cornwall.

Alex Schwarz's second-minute try got Pirates off to a good start before Robin Wedlake and Alex Everett's tries made it 21-7 before former Pirate Syd Blackmore pulled one back and the hosts kicked a penalty.

Tries from Arwel Robson, Arthur Relton, AJ Cant and Nelson's triple ensured an impressive looking scoreline for the Pirates as they move up to seventh place.

But Cattle says his side will have to be better when they face Coventry next weekend:

"If we play like that against Coventry in the first half there's a good chance that we'll be more points down, I felt that Ampthill should have put us away a few times with the attacking opportunities that they had.

"Defensively we definitely need to step it up, Coventry are one of the most improved teams in the league.

"Attacking-wise the handling can be a lot sharper, although we exited some plays and got some rewards today, we're going to have to work harder to get more phases."