INJURIES and unavailability once again continue to hinder the selection plans for Cornish Pirates head coaches Alan Paver and Gavin Cattle ahead of their latest assignment in the RFU Championship.

With a lengthy list of walking wounded, plus the recalls of others to parent clubs, the Pirates duo have again had to tinker with personnel this week as they look to ready themselves for their latest trip to league leaders Ealing Trailfinders tomorrow (3pm).

Add into the equation that three of their squad, Tomi Agbongbon, Matt Cannon and Harry Yates – all currently on loan from the Trailfinders – are ruled out as part of the seasonal agreement between the two clubs, it’s little wonder the Pirates feel they are somewhat scraping the barrel.

Paver, though, refuses to concede defeat and has challenged his side, which shows a handful of changes, to come out fighting in the capital.

“As per last weekend, I think I’ve never known such personnel changes in such a small space of time,” he said. “We know it will be tough again this Saturday.

“We fully recognise that the journey our present group of players are on is obviously at a different level to where Ealing are at, but again we will prepare to the best of our ability and will be putting out what we feel is the strongest selection available.

“Our aim and mindset will be to go into the game looking to get something out of it and, whether we will or won’t, the proof will be in the pudding. The bottom line is that we will be going up there and we will give it our best effort.”

Having returned to competitive action for the first time in three weeks with a 34-10 loss at Hartpury last weekend, the task gets no easier for the Pirates, who face an Ealing outfit not only brimming with higher grade talent, but who have lost only once in the league so far this season.

Changes to last week’s starting line-up see a new-look front-row comprise of Billy Young, Sol Moody and Alfie Petch, the latter of whom is back in Cornwall having been recalled by Gloucester for their European Challenge Cup tie in Bayonne.

Exeter’s Alfie Bell, who came off the bench at Hartpury a week ago, is handed his first start, while Harry Hocking moves into the back-row from hooker to fill the void left by the absent Agbongbon.

Behind the scrum, Iwan Jenkins is recalled at fly-half in place of Bruce Houston, while other additions see Joe Elderkin and Iwan Price-Thomas added to the ranks.

CORNISH PIRATES: Iwan Price-Thomas; Arthur Relton, Charlie McCaig, Joe Elderkin, Will Trewin; Iwan Jenkins, Dan Hiscocks; Billy Young, Sol Moody, Alfie Petch; Alfie Bell, Fintan Coleman; Alex Everett, Harry Hocking, Hugh Bokenham (capt). Replacements: Matt Pritchard, James French, Ollie Andrews, Josh King, Chris Mills, Cam Jones, Bruce Houston, Robin Wedlake.