Bedford Blues 38 Coventry Rugby 31 - when the dream ends the reality is sometimes better...

You once thought of me

As a white knight on his steed

Now you know how happy I can be

Oh, and our good time starts and end

Without dollar one to spend

But how much, baby, do we really need?

Cheer up, Sleepy Jean

Oh, what can it mean

To a daydream believer

Daydream Believer - The Monkees

How appropriate it was yesterday that as supporters left Goldington Road yesterday having witnessed what was a thoroughly entertaining afternoon's rugby, they exited to the sound of The Monkees' 'Daydream Believer'.

Appropriate for Cov fans, anyway.

Just a few days ago, Cov's newly appointed Managing Director, Brett Townsend, temporarily halted Cov Rugby's quest for the ultimate goal - Prem Rugby.

For too long, BT admitted at the Fans' Forum earlier in the week, the club had followed that dream, one that was always unattainable given the external constraints so unfairly imposed on it by the RFU.

It was a relief to hear it said then and it is even more so now.

Champ rugby of the kind I watched yesterday has more than enough to keep spectators like me happy. It might not have the physicality of the Prem but it certainly offers quality rugby at a fraction of the cost and without the constant fear of financial collapse.

Long live the Champ - there are improvements to be made for sure, but if a major sponsor comes in, as has been mooted, and clubs benefit financially with additional marking rights secure, too, then I'm more than happy to tie my flag tightly to the Champ mast for the foreseeable.

Okay, the result itself was disappointing, but I think most supporters travelled down to Bedford yesterday more in hope than expectation. Fielding our strongest side, I'd have put money on us winning but with so many players ruled out through injury, it was always going to be a tough ask against a Bedford side riding high in the league and a lively crowd that see Cov as being all too often a thorn in its side.

With 7 players almost certainly guaranteed a spot in the match day squad, if not in the starting lineup, unavailable due to injury and a limited squad to choose from in the first place, options were always going to be restricted. Alex Rae not only had to field players out of position but also had to depend on a bench with just 4 forwards who together had fewer than 10 senior appearances for the blue 'n whites.

Additionally, Dan Green sustained a foot injury during Thursday's training and will apparently be sidelined for at least a couple of months.

I'm sure Bedford supporters would be able to provide a significant injury list of their own, but away from home on a pitch that saps the energy more than most, Cov were at a serious disadvantage long before they arrived at the ground.

With a minute to go before the break, Cov were 14 points clear and had they managed to defend their lines in the final play of the half, perhaps things might have been different. But urged on by a loud and understandably partisan crowd, Bedford's pack rumbled over the line and suddenly Cov were just 7 points clear and facing the steep slope (in rugby terms) second half, it always looked to be an uphill task from thereon in.

And so it proved.

The home team had the momentum, and after Cov's Dafydd-Rhys Tiueti was rightly given a yellow card, Bedford took advantage of the extra player, scoring twice and adding a penalty for good measure, dominating both territory and possession. Having wisely kept the ball away from the Bedford forwards for much of the first half and spread the play wide to find space, particularly on the left wing where Baker was consistently threatening, Cov forwards were sucked in by the Bedford pack, stifling any chance to get the ball to the increasingly redundant back line.

Parity was restored when Bavadra replaced Tiueti after his 10-minute ban ended, Cov defences held good, but the damage had been done and with the exception of the odd incursion into the Bedford half, Cov struggled to break free from the stranglehold Bedford's forwards had on them.

Despite this, Cov still had chances to narrow the gap, but some careless lineout work, losing possession on their own throw twice in the final minutes after working so hard to win penalties in their own 22, quickly squandered any advantage.

Cov lost their composure slightly in those closing moments, occasionally tossing the ball around recklessly, which increased the pressure on themselves. The absence of Morgan Strong was particularly evident then, as his experience in such a situation might have been crucial. Nevertheless, a rare penalty in Bedford's half provided Mathews, who replaced the injured Josh Thomas, with an opportunity to score three points and secure a second bonus point for Cov, which they probably just about deserved overall.

It was a pulsating game between two teams who were pretty evenly matched, with home advantage and a much stronger bench being the main difference. Bedford deserved the win and there are no complaints from me with regard to the refereeing of the game other than Cov looked to have broken clear in the final quarter only to be brought back late for what was deemed to be a forward pass which looked tight, but legal, from where we were. The Bedford crowd played their part in that decision, I feel.

Cov gave it their all and whilst they looked a little ragged towards the end and had lost some shape (hardly surprising with the lack of options available off the bench - Jordon Poole played flanker for the last 25 minutes of the game) and discipline, collectively I saw a side that looked committed to the cause, a team playing for each other and for the badge.

Unfortunately, the photo isn't as helpful as I had hoped, but the slope from the bottom right to the top left is significant, measuring about 2.6 meters in total. While the pitch was in good condition after the recent rain, playing uphill in the second half must have been pretty draining especially when used to the all-weather surface at the BPA.

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For the third time this season, we travelled to an away game by car rather than on the Supporters' coach. With both my wife and daughter expressing a wish to come along as well as Josh, the car was the better option although there's always an element of guilt when we don't go with the CRSC having relied upon it so much in the past, as we will again in the future.

Due to a late departure, there was some concern about potential parking issues. However, and this is where the blog serves as a public service agency (!), Holly introduced me to YourParkingSpace. This app allows users to find parking quickly and conveniently when other options are scarce. She promptly found a private residence on Goldington Avenue that rents out its driveway on match days for just £6—the nearest municipal car park was a 30-minute walk away and the side streets had no available spaces by the time we arrived. We also used it for the Worcester game, parking in a Tesco car park for a similar price. While it may not be suitable for everyone, it certainly provided peace of mind knowing that parking was secured before starting the journey.

I really enjoy my visits to Goldington Road. Rather like Mennaye Field and Lady Bay, it's very much old school and has a very distinct atmosphere all of its own. With only a small main stand, the bulk of the crowd are gathered close to the pitch and as a result it must look and sound quite intimidating for visiting teams when the ground is buzzing, as it was yesterday. It wasn't a big crowd by any means, just over 3100, but big enough to make plenty of noise.

It has decent facilities too, with plenty of food and drink outlets dotted around the ground, although for the second season running, young Josh has failed to be impressed by the quality of the food on offer. Underwhelmed as he was last year by the burger and chips, he went for the same option again for the same of balance, but once again he was left a little disappointed.

The burger was rather dry and looked and tasted as if it was frozen rather fresh and the bun a bit stale. In fairness to Josh, it did look the least appetising of all the rugby fayre sample so far this year.

The generous portion of cheesy chips promised better and certainly looked inviting but sad to say, and Holly confirmed this, they were barely luke warm and instead of the cheese melting onto the chips, they just sat there minding their own business.

With the burger, chips and a drink priced at £14, I considered it a good deal. However, this wasn't enough for Josh (who wasn't paying!) to rate the meal above a mediocre 3.5, placing it at the bottom of the Champ Food Watch table for the second consecutive year with little chance of improving its position despite nearly half the season remaining.

Champ Food Watch 2025/26

The table so far:

1. Caldy 8.5

2. Cambridge 8.25

3. Doncaster Knights 8.0

4. Chinnor 7.5

5. Worcester Warriors 7

6. Richmond 7

7. Coventry Rugby 6.5

8. Bedford Blues 3.5

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Back to the game.

With limited options among the forwards on the bench, it seemed crucial for Cov to steer clear of direct confrontations with Bedford's forwards whenever possible. Opting for quick ball and an expansive style of play appeared to be the right strategy and for the first 40 minutes, Cov largely adhered to this approach. With Maunder orchestrating the play, the backs managed to make significant metres, effectively utilising the slope to their advantage. Despite the backs gaining plenty of ground, all four tries were scored by the forwards, with Cov posing a significant threat whenever they were in Bedford's red zone.

However, the warning signs were there even in the first half, with their lively pack scoring three close-in tries of their own with their backrow of Tuilagi, Brown and Uru looking particularly dangerous.

As noted earlier, the situation rapidly shifted after the break. With Will Maisey pulling the strings, Bedford upped the gears while Coventry had limited chances to spread the ball wide. The turning point came when Tiueti left the field. From a lineout in our 22, the additional player in Bedford's backline forced Coventry to scramble to cover the gaps, allowing Maisey to seize the opportunity and glide through a significant opening to score almost directly under the posts.

As hard as Cov tried, tiring legs and a pack that was struggling with players out of position and a lack of experience, especially in the front row, they just couldn't get enough ball to put the pressure back on the home side and what ball they did win was squandered by some poor discipline at key moments.

However, this was nothing like the disappointments at Hartpury and Chinnor. I left pretty happy with both the performance and the second bonus point which could yet prove very important come the end of the season.

Even with such a one-sided second half, Cov could have snatched the draw but for a couple of poor lineouts and a little more discipline when it mattered most. On paper, this was a game lost but there were enough positives to come out of it to suggest that the team is still very much travelling in the right direction.

Chinnor at home next week will be an even tougher ask in many respects. The visitors are excelling themselves this season and if a side can ever said to be overachieving, then it can be said of them. At home, on pitch best suited to us and despite so many absentees (although one or two will be available for selection by then), Cov must be clear favourites.

With what is hopefully going to be a good sized crowd to cheer them on, fingers crossed we'll see the BPA rockin' yet again.

Up the Cov!

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