“Playing on a Sunday so far away from home is hard for a part-time team like us, especially as we can’t fly down the day of the game and have to bus down the day before,” explained Tigers’ Director of Rugby, Tim Fourie.

“We then have to bus it back straight afterwards, which means we won’t get back until the early hours of Monday; the guys have to be up for work shortly afterwards.”

If would not be as bad if things were going the Tigers’ way. But they lie directly above the two relegation places with the two teams occupying them – Launceston and Pertemps Bees – both having games in hand on Fourie’s boys.

The problem is with the going definitely getting tough, the Park Lane tough are not getting going.

“We’re suffering from a lack of self belief, that’s been our downfall all season; guys are retreating into their shells when things get hard,” he added.

“The best example of the effect that has is in our one-on-one tackling, which is very poor. That and a lack of aggression affect our ability to build-up momentum.

“I never know which team is going to turn up. It’s frustrating because if we do all turn up for the same game we are capable of beating any team apart from Northampton.

“As for Sunday all we can do is try to make the Pirates pay for making us play on a Sunday, so we’ll be aiming to score four tries and then see where that gets us.

“We know we can expect nothing other than a tough 80 minutes. They are a big, tough, skilful, organised side, so anyone expecting an easy ride can forget it.

We’ve got to stand up and be counted.”

Tigers’ skipper Jimmy Ponton misses the game with an arm injury; Phil Gazzola is absent due to a neck problem and centre Andy Craig misses the clash due to a bout of tonsillitis. He is replaced by freeman Payne with Matt Riley, Danny Birchall and Gareth Roberts added to the bench.

Pirates have former Sedgley junior Rob Elloway at hooker along with World Cup players Heino Senekal (Namibia) and Ed Fairhurst (Canada)

CORNISH PIRATES  v  SEDGLEY TIGERS

WINNAN, Adryan   15 HALL, Chris
MOORE, Jimmy     14 VAN DEVENTER, Jan
TUOHY, Brian     13 PAYNE, Freeman
WINN, Steve      12 BURRELL, Luther
LILO, Vunga      11 BRIERS, Chris
THOMAS, Ollie    10 JONES, Phil
FAIRHURST, Ed     9 LECK, Chris
COOK, Peter       1 LIVESEY, Alistair
ELLOWAY, Rob      2 RODDAM, Jonny
HEARD, Sam        3 HALSALL, Martin
SENEKAL, Heino    4 FOURIE, Tim
CUMMING, Bruce    5 TOWNSON, Glen
CRACKNELL, Chris  6 CROUS, Juan
BETTY, Sam        7 NEWTON, Adam
EVANS, Matt       8 SKURR, Jon

SEAL, Dan        16 BIRCHALL, Danny
DAWIDIUK, Darren 17 ROBERTS, Gareth
COWLEY, Tim      18 DU PLESSIS, Petrus
PAVER, Alan      19 NORRIS, Ed
BOLT, Richard    20 LIVESEY, Dave
MCATEE, Rhodri   21 ALBINSON, Jamie
PARSONS, Sam     22 RILEY, Matt