Cornish Pirates sign Exeter Chiefs duo on loan

Ben Coen (left) and Oscar Beckerleg [Getty Images] Cornish Pirates have signed Exeter Chiefs duo Ben Coen and Oscar Beckerleg on loan. The pair could make their debuts against Champ leaders Ealing Trailfinders on Saturday as the Pirates try to secure a play-off place. Fly-half Coen, 21, is a former England Under-20 international and has played nine times for the Chiefs, including in the prem Rugby Cup final last month.

Truro-born lock Beckerleg, 20, has featured six times for Exeter this season. "This is a fantastic opportunity for both boys to get some real quality game time under their belts," Exeter director of rugby Rob Baxter told the club website. "We've got a very good relationship with Cornish Pirates and they're playing in a league we know is very competitive.

All our players who go there have great experiences, always coming back all the better for it. "For Ben in particular, the chance to potentially have a run of back-to-back appearances is going to be very important as he learns to run and drive a team through a tough competition. "Oscar has had some very good performances for Plymouth Albion, who are having a good season as well, so we see this as the next opportunity for him to potentially step up into the Champ and keep developing into what we need him to be, which is a quality front-five forward.

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