Ampthill 36 Coventry Rugby 40 - no walk in the park but Cov character sees them through
- 1874tsmith
- Mar 1
- 8 min read
At first I took my weight to be an anchor
And gathered up my fears to guide me round
But then I clearly saw my own delusion
And found my struggles further bogged me down
In starting out I thought to go exploring
And set my foot upon the nearest road
In vain I looked to find the promised turning
But only saw how far I was from home
Pilgrim's Progress - Procol Harum
Such was the closeness of the contest whichever side lost, they would have felt hard done by. The lead changed hands several times during the second half and for the last 7 minutes of a pulsating game, Cov had to dig really deep as Ampthill squandered a couple of golden opportunities to take the spoils themselves.
Dillingham Park has rarely been a favorable venue for Coventry Rugby. When we've faced defeat there, as has frequently happened in recent years, it has often been due more to a lacklustre performance from Coventry than an outstanding one from the home team. In short, too often we've under-performed with little evidence of that 'Covdog' mentality that we see so often at the BPA or away against the 'bigger' clubs.
Not so yesterday. It wasn't a vintage Cov performance by any means, but it was one that was full of character and determination with everyone playing their part, including the bench that was so instrumental in putting the squeeze on an Ampthill side that looked good value for its lead at the half way stage.
With a new Head Coach at the helm, Ampthill's traditional forwards-focused style seems to have transformed into a highly attacking, expansive 15-man game plan that promises a far more entertaining watch. Dave Ward and seems to have a different outlook in this aspect compared to his predecessor, aligning closely with the Alex Rae/Rowland Winter training philosophies that we've come to enjoy at Cov over the past decade.
It was, indeed, a far more entertaining game than anyone had the right to expect given the sheer volume of rain we've endured over the last few days, weeks even. Reports from the Hartpury and Nottingham games on Friday night suggested that playing conditions were dire with little in the way of running rugby possible. Fears of similar mud bath though were quickly allayed on arriving at the ground with the pitch looking surprisingly firm. Huge credit should go to the Ampthill ground staff here.
The pitch is exposed to the elements on all sides and with grassed banks on two of them, additional run off water must add to the problems. It did cut up a little but mostly following a scrum or lineout and with the groundsman replacing divots at half time, little damage was evident by the end of the game.
Coventry has recently struggled on grass in wet conditions, particularly later in games. However, yesterday, Coventry appeared to finish stronger than their opponents, both physically and mentally. It was pleasing to see how they took control in the last 10 minutes. Game management in close matches has often been a weakness, but even without possession Coventry looked disciplined and extremely well-organised despite earlier defensive lapses. Much has been said about how well this squad has come together this season, and it was very evident yesterday, with everyone working as a cohesive unit to prevent Ampthill from scoring a final point that would have secured their victory.
I do like the way Alex Rae is confident enough to take off some of his most experienced players in the toughest of situations and trust those on the bench, often players with far fewer games under the belts, to see out the game.
Take yesterday, for instance. With 15 minutes remaining and the game still very much in the balance, Rae withdrew both Poole and Barton and replaced them with Davidson and Miles, two of the most 'junior' members of the Cov squad in terms of appearances at least. It takes a bit of bottle to do that but it's something he's been prepared to do all season and he's not been let down either. It was Davidson who barged his way over for the final and, as it turned out, match winning try and Tom Miles looked assured and confident as he has every time he's appeared in a Cov shirt since September.
We've a relatively small squad this season, so it's imperative that everyone plays their part and with injuries causing some long term absences, even those players who we might have expected to be on the fringe are getting a chance to prove themselves. I thought Graham had an immediate impact when he came on, as did Johnson too - it seems that the coaches have really worked out how best to use the bench, something in previous seasons hasn't always been the case.
Ampthill has a strong connection to John Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress, as Houghton House is thought to have inspired the House Beautiful, where the protagonist Christian finds rest and meets Charity, Discretion, Piety, and Prudence.
Walking through the wooded area from the clubhouse to the main pitch yesterday, though, felt more bleak than beautiful. While it may be bucolic and lush in the summer, on a cold and dreary February early afternoon (though the sun did appear later), it was quite the opposite, with the bare trees more resembling a scene from a post-apocalyptic Cormac McCarthy novel.
However, without the leaves on the birches and with far more light guiding the way, it's nowhere near as intimidating or claustrophobic as it sometimes feels. The walk to the pitch isn't one that many supporters warm to, understandably so if your at all unsteady on your pins, but yesterday it seemed to have lost its oppressive feeling for me. I do enjoy going down to Ampthill because it is so different to other Champ grounds but in the past it's unnerved me - not so yesterday. It was just a rather pleasant 2 minute stroll, that's all.
Away from the club house, there's very little about the ground that is spectator friendly with no seats (other than a couple of wooden benches) or even covered areas to provide some shelter from the elements. I'm not sure I'll be wanting to make the visit over there in a few years time with the sloped standing area potentially very slippy and with an uneven surface that is likely to be my undoing when doubtless on a couple of sticks and struggling for breath.
However, it does has one thing going for it. The food.
I'm probably going to be in the minority here but despite an obvious lack of choice, it's one of the few grounds in this league (the only ground?), where there's a healthy option available. In the absence of the blog's regular food reviewer, I took over the mantel and was expecting yet another offering of burger and chips with little else to tempt me.
And yes, there was a burger available (together with a pork batch) but no chips.
But there were also rolls. A healthier option and one that I've been crying out for a good while now...
A cheese and pickle roll (wholemeal) was a really welcome alternative for those of us for whom the grease and fat of a burger isn't perhaps the most sensible of choices. Ok, the cheese was sliced and probably processed and the roll was a little dry, but it suited me just fine and at £4 was priced fairly (even if it was a bit light on the filling).
I did buy a burger and have a bite, although the rest I left - and it tasted fine - not especially greasy/fatty, appearing fresh rather than frozen. The roll was also wholemeal, so a plus point there ,too. Sliced cheese again, but at least it wasn't one of Kraft's fluorescent orange melty cheese squares.
It was £6.
So the table of Champ Unofficial Scores for 2025/26 is currently:
Caldy 8.5
Cambridge 8.25
Doncaster Knights 8.0
Chinnor 7.5
Ampthill 7
Worcester Warriors 7
Richmond 7
Coventry Rugby 6.5
Bedford Blues 3.5
I'm not sure Josh would have been quite as generous but the roll was worth a point or two in my book, although that said I don't think they sold many on the day! A score of 7 seems fair to me, anyway.
Nottingham up next and Josh will be back at the helm all being well.
It was a really enjoyable game to watch with both teams playing some expansive rugby at times. Coventry looked at their most threatening when they transitioned quickly from defence, with forwards making quick inroads and then allowing the backs to take the attack out wide. Their big runners in the pack, with Strong and Ferrie again to the fore, broke the gain line repeatedly and quick hands and good support enabled the visitors to put Ampthill on a lot of pressure.
Ampthill looked most dangerous though when their backs ran at our defence. We were constantly stretched out wide and gaps appeared that we just weren't able to cover. A couple of important missed tackles didn't help our cause but defensively Cov put in a good shift despite conceding 5 tries. Josh Barton (theirs, not ours!) pulled the strings behind their pack and was a constant thorn in our side, as he so often is. Ollie Mullarkey, their 6, caught the eye in the first half, strong with ball in hand and in the tackle, as well as winning good ball at the line out, although he faded somewhat in the second half.
Cov began to have the edge in the scrums the longer the game went on but there wasn't a lot in it and both teams seemed to dominate their own throw at the line out.
Perhaps the most impressive aspect to the game, from a Cov perspective, was the team's ability to bounce back almost immediately each time Ampthill scored. Away from home in front of a small, but lively crowd, it must be tough to stay so focused, but Ampthill never got ahead by more than one score and when they did retake the lead late on, Cov were able to respond within 4 minutes and hold on for what was an extremely hard-earned 5 points.
Mental resilience hasn't always been a strength of Coventry sides but that togetherness that so many people have commented on, both within the club and from the outside, will win games that might otherwise be lost. Who knows what this squad will look like in August, but if Rae does have the budget at this disposal as well as the desire to keep the core of this crop of players together, then it does bode well for the future, even if there doesn't appear a lot of incentive to stay in The Champ right now.
When the final whistle sounded, the sun had emerged, bringing a sense of Spring with it. From the elevated pitch, one could see a few fruit trees in bloom, adding a burst of color to an otherwise drab landscape.
A metaphor for new beginnings perhaps, of hope for the future? As far as Cov is concerned, the shoots are already there for all to see.
The next game, in three weeks time, is against Doncaster at home and a chance to make some amends for one of the poorer Cov second half performances this season. The players have a deserved break first to look forward to and with the game being chosen as the launch for the renaming of the BPA to the Nick Newbold Stadium (more on that anon!), there will likely be a good crowd there. Donny appear to have found a little form recently so it's fortunate we're at home - another performance in line with the last three or four from Cov will be needed. With Cov scoring more bonus points this season so far (21) than any other team, including free-scoring Ealing, it should be another entertaining contest.
Up the Cov.
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