Cattle takes positives from Pirates' heavy cup loss

Gavin Cattle's side have not won a game since the opening weekend of the season

Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle says his side's 68-7 loss to Exeter in the Premiership Rugby Cup was "great exposure" for his players.

The Pirates conceded 10 tries as Exeter - who had lost all six of their Premiership games going into the match - named a near-full strength side.

It was a fifth successive loss in all competitions for Cattle's side after a difficult start to their Championship campaign.

"It was great exposure for our lads, I know the scoreline but there was some real good learning," Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall.

"I'm proud of the effort. We tried to stick in there chasing back and scrapping, but science took over.

"The size and power of those lads on that pitch who are Premiership starters week in week out, and there's our boys on a journey.

"It's never nice to take a loss like that, a bit of a hiding, but there was learning within it."

Exeter made just six changes from the side that lost to Harlequins on Sunday, with England forward Ethan Roots among the players to come in.

Paul Brown-Bampoe scored a hat-trick of tries while Will Rigg and Josh Hodge each scored twice.

"I think that's the first time in a long time that we've had an out-and-out Premiership team," Cattle added.

"Sometimes it's littered with stars, but that was a Premiership team that have just missed out on a few wins and been unlucky.

"We caught the wrong end of their frustration."