Cambridge 19 Coventry Rugby 33 - bonus point win sees Cov continue winning run
- 1874tsmith
- 3 days ago
- 8 min read
I am unwritten
Can't read my mind, I'm undefined
I'm just beginning
The pen's in my hand, ending: unplanned
Staring at the blank page before you, open up the dirty window
The rest is still unwritten, yeah
Oh, oh
I break tradition
Sometimes my tries are outside the lines yeah, yeah
We've been conditioned to not make mistakes
But I can't live that way, oh, oh
Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield
With four consecutive victories and five wins out of the last six games, the situation for Cov is looking significantly brighter than it was a few weeks back.
A fourth placed finish was thought to be a tough but achievable goal back in pre-season, so for Cov to be challenging Worcester for the third position with one game remaining before all teams have played each other once, I would tentatively suggest that Coventry Rugby is in an excellent position for a playoff spot in June.
The next round of fixtures is arguably the tastiest yet with Worcester away to Ealing, Bedford away to Chinnor and Cov hosting Pirates. If results go the way of the favourites, after completion of all the games in Round 13, Cov could be on equal points with Worcester, ahead of Chinnor and just five points behind Bedford with a trip to Goldington Road looming large.
Back in early November after the first half capitulation away to Hartpury there were more than a few doubters putting their heads up over the parapets to suggest that Cov were going to struggle this season and questions were being asked of the coaches and players. Supporters are by nature quite fickle but I'm not sure what the reasoning behind the general feeling of gloom was - a big turnover of players at the end of last season and just about the toughest start to the season fixture-wise was always going to lead to an uncertain start.
Admittedly, performances in a couple of games were well below par especially away to Chinnor, the first half over at Hartpury and away to Donny, but Cov have slowly built up momentum and despite what was, for me, a pretty average display against Cambridge, they've consistently picked up points of late and look to be in a good place right now.
A significant amount of recognition should be given to Alex Rae and his coaching team. Despite facing criticism early on from certain quarters, they managed to ignore these external distractions and concentrate on their strengths, effectively responding to their critics in the most effective manner possible.
Interestingly, we face Cornish Pirates in just four days times. They have recently experienced a similar situation to ours at the start of the season, as their last four games, all losses, were against the same teams we played back then: Worcester (away), Bedford (home), Chinnor (away), and Ealing (home). As a result, they are languishing in 8th spot but have two more losses than we do and are 8 points behind, indicating that we've fared that much better.
Pirates at the BPA are far less formidable than they are at the Mennaye and whilst only a fool would write off their chances of a win on Thursday, form suggests that it's Cov who should take the points.
But they will have to play a good deal better than they did on Boxing Day...
...I've read a fair few reports suggesting that the Cov performance was a very good one, especially in the first half but for me, well it was one of the least impressive so far this season. Yes, Cov were dominant in the scrum in particular and were clinical in Cambridge's 22, using the rolling maul to good effect to score three of their 5 tries. But outside of that, we failed to dominate what is the weakest side in the league currently, and by a distance at that.
In The Rugby Paper, Alex Rae mentioned that 'the forwards were brilliant in the first half...it just felt like a proper joined-up team performance.' However, despite Cov leading 28-7 at halftime, Cambridge had a significant share of possession in our half during much of the first 40 minutes. In fact, I feel Cambridge Head Coach Craig Newby (who briefly coached at Cov under Rowland Winter) was nearer the mark when he lamented: 'We're not good enough to leave opportunities out there, and we missed at least eight in the first half.'
While I'm uncertain about the exact number of those missed opportunities, the point remains relevant: the half was much more competitive than the score suggested. Cambridge's inexperience in both attack and defence proved costly. For example, when they were down 7-14 and Cov were attacking in their 22, Cambridge won a scrum, only for the referee to reverse the decision (presumably for some Cambs ill-discipline) and award Cov a penalty.
Cov scored from the kick to the corner.
If they had cleared their lines from the scrum, it's likely that with just 6 minutes left in the half, the halftime score would have been at least 7 points closer, if not more.
Anyone reading this might think I'm being a bit harsh, but it was a frustrating game to watch at times, particularly in the second half when we were once again outscored and arguably outplayed, especially in the final quarter. Cov needed to do exactly what they did—secure the points, avoid unnecessary injuries, give the youngsters some valuable game time, and move on to the next match. However, Cambridge have lost all 12 of their games this season, collecting just 6 points in the process—they're a team struggling at this level, yet at times the gap between the two teams didn't seem nearly as wide as it appears on paper.
There were plenty of positives, too. More on those later.
I do like my visits to Cambridge.
It's always been a friendly ground and the links between the two club ever since Rowland Winter arrived at Cov in 2018 have made it that little bit more special. There is a seated area above the clubhouse but it is very limited, so much so that I've never even enquired as to availability. Crowds are small even for The Champ with just 1440 odd for the Boxing Day fixture, although there's always a good deal of noise.
Unlike Caldy, there's a PA and a clock that's visibly from the clubhouse side of the pitch and whilst there aren't many toilets, they're adequate for the size of the crowds.
There's also a dedicated gaming bus for the youngsters, too, which seemed to be popular whenever we walked past.
Where the club excels, though, is it's food provision.
There are the ubiquitous chips and sausage rolls etc available in the clubhouse and pitchside there's a hog roast and pizza stall, with fresh coffee available from a van.
Along with Josh, Holly (his mum) and Sue were also at the game which meant that although Sue and I had both brought our own lunches (and no bag check either!) both mother and son were invited to take part in the Unofficial Champ Food Watch.
Both predictably skipped the indoor fayre and headed straight for the pizza, although Holly was quite tempted by the hog roast. Unfortunately, they both had to wait 40 minutes for their orders as they were initially forgotten and then overlooked as kickoff approached and the line grew longer. Worse still, orders were still being taken even though, according to the lady handling the payments, there was uncertainty about having enough ingredients to fulfill them! An order number was issued, but with no ticket given, people were simply claiming a pizza as theirs if it had the right toppings.
Fair to say, neither Josh or Holly were impressed!
Both agreed that the pizza was excellent though, with a good crust, generous toppings, and it was piping hot upon arrival. And at just £10, it was extremely good value when compared to some of the food being offered elsewhere in The Champ.
If there had been no issues, Holly would have given it a solid 9.0 and Josh a commendable 8.5. However, each deducted 0.5 points due to the wait, resulting in an average score of 8.25 for Cambridge. If everything had gone smoothly, Cambridge would be leading the standings, with some key competitors already out of the running!
This is the table as it stands though:
Caldy 8.5
Cambridge 8.25
Doncaster Knights 8.0
Chinnor 7.5
Worcester Warriors 7
Richmond 7
Coventry Rugby 6.5
The pre-parking system was highly effective. Despite a sign indicating the car park was full upon our arrival, presenting the prepaid QR code granted us access with minimal hassle. After the game, we exited the ground within 5 minutes, thanks to the stewards facilitating a swift departure.
Once again, Cov's scrum was dominant throughout the game, although the lineout faltered on occasions and I think we lost three on our own throw? A good percentage of the 12 penalties (according to TRP) Cambridge conceded were the result of our dominance in the front row and even when Cov replaced Poole with young Murray Davidson and gave senior Academy player Sam Gibson his debut when he came on for Matt Johnson, Cov 's scrum still looked exceptionally solid.
Yes, Cambridge did dominate the final 20 minutes or so but the opportunity to play two inexperienced front rowers with less than a handful of games between them outweighs any loss in fluency from a coach's perspective, I imagine. Murray Davidson seems to have taken to Championship rugby like the proverbial duck to water - it will be really interesting to see if Cov can keep Poole, Ma'asi and Davidson together next season as all good enough to be playing regularly, if not starting, for all but the very top club(s)..
The backs appeared dangerous at times, with Opoku-Fordjour posing a threat whenever he had the ball on one wing, and Sullivan consistently seeking involvement on the other. However, defensively, we were occasionally stretched, and they missed a few promising scoring opportunities. I thought Allan at 9 and Mausia at 10 both performed well for them and seemed like very promising prospects. Charlie Robson was playing his first game for Cambridge but didn't get much of the ball (I seem to remember him scoring something of a 'worldie' for us over there last season?) - he was substituted after 55 minutes due to what looked to be a thigh strain. Was prone to injuries when he was with us?
Tiki, as usual, was Mr. Reliable, delivering several thumping hits and gaining good metres with the ball. There were a couple of rare fumbles, but he seems much more effective in the second row these days, which also gives players like Ferrie and Mackenzie Graham the opportunity to excel behind him. Indeed, Allan Ferrie was the standout performer for me during for Cov on Friday. He was a constant presence throughout the afternoon and is quickly becoming a formidable threat as an aggressive ball carrier. He frequently supports the player in space and possesses the power and speed to challenge any defence in open play. He joined us late and may have initially gone unnoticed, but the more he plays, the more his signing proves to be a wise decision.
I'm unsure how long Oli Morris will be out, but I do believe we've felt his absence somewhat. I really like both Morgan Adderly-Jones and Api Bavadra, and Daffy-Rhys Tiueti is growing on me. However, Morris seems crucial — he's very organised in defence and, while not as creative as someone like Bavadra, he frequently breaks the first tackle. Tom Bacon at fullback looks very promising as well, and with Ewan Baker as another option, we have plenty of depth. It won't be long before our backs become a dominant force in the league.
Before ending, I must congratulate Chinnor on their impressive victory over Worcester at Sixways. The win is not only a significant boost for them but also for everyone involved in the Championship. It demonstrates that rugby at this level is not solely about financial resources or the size of the squad; it's also about having belief in oneself and the community represented.
Most of the 9,500 spectators who witnessed Worcester's defeat likely hadn't seen Chinnor play before, nor had they experienced a Championship side's victory against such odds. This outcome might finally emphasize the point many of us have been making since the announcement of Worcester's inclusion in our league - that if The Champ is to keep its integrity, then relegation and promotion, both up and down, must be sacrosanct, that teams like Chinnor not only have a right to be in the same league as a Coventry, and Ealing or a Worcester, they also have the right to challenge for a place at the top table too. And if a promoted side were to make the Premiership, with comparable funding one can only assume they'd achieve at least what Newcastle Falcons have(n't), if not a good deal more.
Up the Cov!