PENRYN Rugby Club moved safely into the semi-finals of the Skinner's Brewery Cornwall Knockout Cup, but it was far from satisfactory in the way in which they achieved their success against opponents Mount Bay - not that they were to blame for that.

From the outset, this was the game neither side wanted to play and it came as no real surprise that it was never played.

However, the clubs will claim that it was not entirely all their fault. Each club knew two weeks before the allocated date that it would have selection problems, particularly in the front row, and both clubs would have preferred to play the game on Saturday, January 15, when they had a blank day in their fixture lists.

Discussions and appeals were opened with the Cornwall Rugby Football Union in a bid to gain permission for the date to be changed, but the CRFU decided that the game must be played in accordance with dates laid down at the beginning of the season.

Eventually it all proved rather academic, because Mounts Bay could not raise a team and as a result the Borough missed out on gate and bar takings and the loss of a game.

The message and apology that Mounts Bay would be unable to field a front row came through late on Thursday evening and the tie was therefore handed to Penryn.

This is the second year running that Mounts Bay has pulled out of the county's cup competition. In a previous season Penzance-Newlyn pulled out because of league commitments and Truro were awarded a bye to the final.

Full story in this week's issue.