Yahoo Sports Inexperience costs Pirates in 34-10 Hartpury loss
Cornish Pirates joint-head coach Gavin Cattle said inexperience in his pack had a say in his side's 34-10 loss at Hartpury.
The defeat brought Pirates' five-game winning run to an end.
The club has seen Martin Moloney and Lewis Pearson return to parent club Exeter Chiefs while Will Gibson has moved to Australia since they beat Ampthill just after Christmas.
"I'm not taking anything away from the new lads, it's just time in the saddle," Cattle told BBC Radio Cornwall.
"There's three big players there, two Premiership quality players, and Gibbo's been ingrained and been a part of what we've done.
"But on the positive side you had Alex Everett looking like his old self and he's been out for a while, he was a bit of a shining light.
"I thought Oisin Michel did well, the boys off the bench steadied the scrum.
"Our challenge is bringing them guys up to that level, and it takes time and you'll learn lessons from a more experienced pack today."
Two tries from Ethan Hunt and one each from Brad Denty and Harry Short put Hartpury in control as they led 24-3 at the break.
It was not until late in the second half that Everett pulled a try back for Pirates before Jarrad Hayler scored a late fifth for the hosts.
The loss drops the Pirates to sixth in the Championship as Hartpury go a point above them with a game in hand.
