Bester promises strong finish

The coach was as frustrated as anyone at the 17-14 loss in a match they had to win, especially at the number of mistakes made which handed too much possession on a plate to one of the best sides in the division.

He said: "We have two matches left this year and the team will end it on a high, in that they will play for the shirt and each other. There will be no capitulation like we saw last term—that will not happen with this side.

"We lost the game either side of half time when Pirates scored 11 points.

"But I thought we played well against a very accomplished Pirates outfit. It's the small margins that make the big differences, but we will learn and grow from our experiences this season."

Titans have a free weekend before wrapping up their season at home to Leeds next Saturday and away to Bedford seven days later.