Coventry 31 Rugby Hartpury 19: revenge - a dish best served when it's mild and a little wet and breezy

Say something

Shout it from the rooftops of your head

Make it sort of mean something

Make me understand or I'll forget

The people here on life's beaches

They wish upon the waves that hide the sand

Let them know that life teaches

You to build a castle in your hand

Maybe the songs that we sing are wrong

Maybe the dreams that we dream are gone

Bring it on home and it won't be long

It's gettin' better, man

It's Gettin' Better, Man - Oasis

The high-energy track by Oasis from their 'Be Here Now' album feels particularly apt for today's post, as it's frequently regarded as an anthem of hope and resilience.

For me, that sense of hope comes from Coventry's last three games which have demonstrated significant progress in some of the previous performances this season and resilience in light of the expected announcement by the RFU later this week regarding a moratorium on promotion from The Champ to The Prem, potentially lasting until at least 2030 and beyond.

Without the incentive of Prem rugby, all that's left for Champ clubs at the moment is to build those 'castles in your hand' and whilst 'the songs that we sing and the dreams that we dream' have been misplaced as a result of the duplicity of the game's governing body, for us Cov supporters maybe it is indeed 'getting better, man', even if it's only on the pitch.

Listening to Alex Rae at the Fans' Forum in January, it was evident that the loss to Hartpury in November marked the lowest point of the season up to that point. The first 40 minutes were particularly poor from Coventry's perspective, made even more frustrating by the improved performance after half time, as we narrowly missed what would have been a remarkable comeback after trailing 29-5 at the break.

Cov clearly had a score to settle and with a victory ensuring we would overtake Hartpury in the standings, there was a lot at stake in the game. For that to occur, Cov needed to deliver a complete 80-minute performance, which they duly did, much to the credit of both the players and coaching staff. Although only 8 points now separate 4th placed Cov and Nottingham in 8th, the chances of finishing in the top 6 are significantly better than they might have otherwise been, especially with a few very winnable matches coming up in the next couple of months (except perhaps Doncaster, who seem to have finally found their mojo).

It wasn't a complete Cov performance by any means, but Cov were disciplined and denied Hartpury any sort of meaningful platform on which to build. At no point in the game did they lead Cov, although Hartpury had pegged us back to 14-14 at the break despite Cov looking the better of the two sides in the first half.

Cov's scrum appeared to dominate for much of the game, and although the line-out faltered a couple of times, it remained solid—just like Hartpury's. Despite Cov frequently contesting the visitor's throw, neither Ball nor Graham achieved the level of success we're often used to seeing in the set piece. Nonetheless, the Cov pack was impressive yesterday, with the back row particularly standing out. Ferrie was perhaps a bit quieter than usual, but Strong made significant progress inroads into Hartpury's defence, and Ball was everywhere—resting him last week seemed to give him the boost he needed.

Behind the pack, the backs looked secure without ever being overly threatening, although Bacon stood out with his defence under the high ball, often under immense pressure from the Hartpury chasers who were far more effective than Coventry's for much of the game (although Opoku-Fordjour's commitment to the cause that forced Hartpury to touch down under their own posts resulted in one of the loudest cheers of the afternoon).

Whilst the sponsors affirmed Tom Bacon as their Man of the Match, for me Tommy Mathews was probably even more deserving. He controlled the game, often pinning the visitors back in their own half with some astute kicking from hand (including a huge 50:22) and his 100% accuracy from the tee made life that much harder for the visitors - he certainly outshone the in-form Harry Bazalgette who has been of The Champ's standout players of the past two seasons.

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I haven't bragged about this on the blog before, but since I'm now at risk of a serious nosebleed (or epistaxis, if you want to sound fancy), I figured I'd honk my own horn and share my current standing in The Rugby Paper's Fantasy League 2025/26. I'm rocking in a season's high 6th place (and possibly eyeing one of those end-of-season playoff spots?).

I'd like to add that this is more about luck than skill, and in a week or two, I'll probably be plummeting faster than a skydiving penguin. But hey, at least I've got a shot at making it into Europe...

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Despite the importance of the game in the context of Cov's season so far, and indeed in determining the make-up of the play-offs in May/June, 'only' 2200ish decided to make the trip down to the BPA yesterday. I say 'only' as we might have been looking at 500-800 more 12 months ago, but attendances continue to disappoint both for Cov and the Champ as a whole.

It would be easy to put the reason for yesterday's disappointing turnout down to the Six Nations and England's televised game against Ireland, as it would to excuse last week's lowly attendance for the Richmond game to it being a Friday night in February, but these aren't one-offs any longer.

Cov could likely have boosted yesterday's attendance by a few hundred if they had adjusted the kickoff time to either 12 o'clock (as was done with some other Champ fixtures) or 4 o'clock, accommodating those torn between club and country. That said though, with an Academy game scheduled under the lights afterward, the logistics were probably more complex than they might appear to those not involved in match day administration.

Cov might have increased yesterday's attendance by a few hundred if they had changed the kickoff time to either 12 o'clock (similar to some other Champ fixtures) or 4 o'clock, allowing those conflicted between club and country to attend. However, with an Academy game planned for later under the lights, the logistics were likely more complicated than they seem to outsiders of match day administration.

Nevertheless, should attendance keep decreasing at this pace, Cov will undoubtedly have to modify their budget for the next season. With reductions already happening in other sectors, this will ultimately impact the funds Rae has for recruitment. It appears that most of the decisions concerning player retention and recruitment for the upcoming season are already finalised, but what about the future beyond that...?

Well, let's hope that the major Champ sponsor has already signed on for the 2026/27 season.

In defence of the club, I should mention that they made every effort to provide a full day of entertainment. The schedule began with the international match being televised on the bar screens at 2:10 pm, followed by the Cov game kickoff at 3:00 pm, live music in the main bar immediately after, and an Academy game at 7:30 pm. However, not many supporters can spend a full 8 hours at the club, and watching only part of the international match before leaving for the main event may not be as appealing as it initially seems.

The BPA was noticeably less crowded in the hour leading up to kickoff than it typically is on a Saturday afternoon. Even as the game began, there were many empty seats around us in a central area of the main stand which is usually filled with season ticket holders. Considering recent trends, I imagine that the number of season tickets purchased next season will also decrease, with some fans choosing to pay on a match-by-match basis. Although attending every game this way would be more expensive, it makes sense if you're not as committed, given the spread-out season and the weeks of inactivity at the BPA.

Josh decided to partake of the beef and stilton pie yesterday and was actually quite impressed with it. Made on the premises, as are sausage rolls, they are very reasonably priced at just £6, although he paid another £5 (or at least I did!!) for a portion of chips (which he spoiled by covering them in hot chilli sauce rather than ketchup!).

The photo above isn't overly flattering but he assured me that it tasted better tan it looked and as a result he has upgraded Cov's Champ Food Watch (2025/26) score to 6.75, although this makes no difference to Cov's relatively lowly position in the table.

There are still a couple of home games left so it could be that further changes to the score are made...it's Ampthill away next week and it looks like I'll have to be the 'guest' reviewer as Josh is otherwise engaged.

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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It was an entertaining game, with Cov fully deserving the win. The sweetness of the victory was enhanced by Cov preventing Hartpury from earning extra points for either finishing within 7 points or scoring 4 tries. In the previous game at Hartpury, Cov had accomplished both, so in that regard, we somewhat redeemed ourselves for what had been a disastrous opening 40 minutes back in November.

There are still a number of players out injured which one would expect at this point of a season, but several key players, the likes of Trinder, Morris, Maa'si and Sullivan, would certainly add a good deal more depth. However, the balance in the squad seems far better this year (we played much of the season without a specialist 15 as I recall) and as a result we haven't had to rely on as many loanees as has been the case in recent seasons.

The more I watch Murray Davidson, the more impressed I become. He entered the game for the last 13 minutes when Hartpury seemed poised to make a comeback with a third try, narrowing the score to 19-28, and delivered some significant tackles. He appears unfazed at this level, and if Ma'asi has to leave due to injury or retirement, it will be intriguing to see whether Rae recruits another hooker or promotes Davidson to the number 2 position behind Poole (who is enjoying a fantastic season—possibly his best in a Cov shirt?).

Next weekend's trip to Ampthill will certainly be a challenging test. Dillingham Park hasn't been the most successful venue for Cov in the past, but with Ampthill currently not in top form, Coventry should be confident about securing all five points given their recent performances. Of course, part of the outcome depends on which team Ampthill fields on the day (I noticed Billy Nairau was scheduled to play a few weeks ago, although he didn't appear), but Cov seems to have some consistency in their own lineup at the moment and possesses the pack to handle both the opposition and the conditions and a back division that can cause havoc if it's given the time and space.

I'm sure some of the problems teams face are mental rather than physical over there but I quite like visiting Ampthill; it's different to most grounds and whatever one thinks of them, they've earned the right to play at this level and have bloodied a few noses in the process. A win there would set us up really nicely for a resurgent Doncaster at home - the trip up there wasn't one that was up there with our best this season to put it mildly, something akin to that at Hartpury really, so its another chance to set the record straight.

Here's hoping.

Remember, it's getting better, man.

Up the Cov!

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0MgGdB_4Ro