Coventry Rugby 38 Blackheath 36 - fright under the Friday evening lights as Cov survives a painful Clubbing
I wish that I could push a button
And talk in the past and not the present tense
And watch this lovin' feeling
Disappear like it was common sense
I was a fine idea at the time
Now I'm a brilliant mistake
I was a fine idea at the time
Now I'm a brilliant mistake
Brilliant Mistake - Elvis Costello
The approaches of the two head coaches to choosing their respective starting XVs for the Coventry v Blackheath encounter on Friday evening were markedly different.
It was understandable that Coventry's Alex Rae viewed this as an opportunity to rest some of the more experienced squad members and allow several players, who haven't had much Champ rugby time this season, to gain some valuable minutes out on the pitch
Tom Stradwick, head coach at Blackheath, fielded the same team that started the previous week's match, which itself had only one change from the week before. For him, maintaining consistency was crucial, particularly when playing away against a team that is notoriously difficult to defeat at home.
Despite the outcome, it's likely Tom Stradwick gained the most from the encounter. His newly promoted team pushed Coventry, a squad highly fancied for a top-four finish this season, to the brink in a match that remained undecided until the final play. The result, along with the three other games they've played so far, indicates that his team will be highly competitive this season.
For Alex Rae, the primary feeling must surely have been one of relief? Despite entering the break with what appeared to be a solid 20-point lead, he witnessed his team being outperformed for the second time in the first four games. While their opponents might have lacked the overall quality of more seasoned teams at this level, they made up for it with determination and a never-give-up attitude.
The final few minutes of the contest were nail-biting as Blackheath threw all but the kitchen sink at Cov in a desperate attempt to steal the win at the death - While "steal" might be somewhat misleading, there are compelling reasons to argue that Blackheath deserved the victory after their remarkable performance in that second half.
Eight or nine changes from the previous week's starting XV wasn't that much of a surprise given that on paper this should have been on of the more routine fixtures this season against a side new to Champ rugby and playing away from home at a ground where the home side has seldom lost more than two or three games a season post Covid.
I haven't heard this mentioned elsewhere, and maybe it's a bit of a knee-jerk reaction to Friday's performance on my part , but it appears that the squad might not have quite the overall depth many of us believed it had before the season began - well, me anyway. The way both Rotherham and Blackheath have competed against Champ opposition so far indicates that there will likely be plenty of shocks to come over the next 22 rounds. There is absolutely no room for complacency, whether on or off the pitch.
Moreover, their current success likely supports the idea that The Champ could benefit from expanding to a 16-team league. Including teams like Plymouth, Camborne, Sale, and Leeds, along with the current 12, would only enhance the league based on the recent performance of the two newly promoted clubs???
Returning to the game... I'm not entirely convinced that accusations of complacency against Cov are justified, either regarding the loss to Rotherham or the close win on Friday. However, I do believe Cov eased up in the second half of both games. Much like a cornered animal that fights back, both opponents gave it their all, and we were found wanting.
For brief periods, especially in the first half on Friday, the speed and pace of our play was again exhilarating to watch. On those occasions we hit the opposition at pace and offloaded quickly, then Blackheath were left chasing shadows. When everything gels like this, we are arguably the most exciting team to watch in the Champ, when we don't we sometimes expose frailties in defence that leave us on the backfoot.
Whatever team we put out, though, there should be enough quality in the match day squad to compete far better than we did in the second 40 under the lights at the NNS on Friday. Yes, it's still very early in the season, but I'd expected a bit more fight from us - the passion, commitment and resolve we saw from Blackheath wasn't matched to the same degree by Cov and we allowed them to dominate the game after the break in all phases of play. In particular, Blackheath looked sharper and quicker and had numbers at the breakdown that often put us under pressure, both in attack and defence.
Cov has experienced two disappointing 40-minute periods of rugby this season, which is something supporters should be ready for, coaches need to anticipate, and players must learn from. Mistakes are inevitable, but it's somewhat frustrating when the same errors repeatedly occur.
While errors due to the opposition's strengths in certain areas are understandable, the mistakes we make ourselves are frustrating for spectators, as well as for the coaches and players involved. Sometimes our discipline, and by that I mean just doing the basics right, has let us down - restarts, for instance, or just accuracy of passing or dropping the ball on contact - mistakes which at this level we really shouldn't be making.
The penalty count has been higher than we would have liked in three of the four games. We do tend to be penalised more than the opposition, both at the breakdown and the scrum. While I lack the technical expertise to determine why referees penalise us so frequently, we should have enough experience among our players and coaches to at least reduce this issue significantly, if not eliminate it entirely.
This isn't meant to be a moan, far from it. The game was a fantastic advert for Champ rugby and the tension at the end was palpable, no matter which team you supported.
Cov currently plays a high-energy, high-stakes style of rugby, making them such an exciting team to support. However, to succeed, they need to demonstrate greater discipline at times. When things don't go as planned, like they did on Friday after a promising start, it's crucial to have the mental resilience and technique to play through difficult situations. We barely managed to do that, but we did.
In fairness, Cov showed some resilience, especially in the last moments of the game when phase after phase, Blackheath drove their way into our 22 and perhaps looked the more likely of the two sides to come away with the points.
Cov really had to dig deep. With backs to the wall and the opposition well placed to either maul their way over the line or opt for the a drop kick to win the game, they showed the resolve and technical ability to win a penalty and relieve the pressure before the final whistle was blown.
Cov deservedly earned plenty of praise for that - good teams often have a 'get out of jail' card to hand, but they aren't limitless (as we saw at Rotherham) and we should never have got ourselves into a position where we needed to play one.
And we don't have a monopoly on them...(Apologies).
Unlike one or two comments I've read elsewhere and despite my comments about the depth of the squad, I don't have any issues with the team selected for Blackheath. I trust in Alex Rae to know his squad, his players and the permutations that work well together. Hopefully, he'll have watched how they performed and learned a great deal from what he saw and, indeed, didn't see. With Doncaster looking to have found a bit of form, judging by their fine away win against a much improved Ampthill on Saturday, the trip up to Castle Parly next weekend is going to be a particularly tough one, so it will be interesting to see what sort of side is put out for that.
One thing I did find a little surprising was the decision to make wholesale changes to the side on 52 minutes, emptying the bench (the 7 remaining players - remembering the Nayagi had had to come on after just 10 minutes to replace the injured Rhodes in the 11th minute). It's not the first time Rae has done this, or something similar, but it is always a gamble and once done there are no options to change the pattern of play outside of on the pitch. Had there been a couple of injuries or a card to follow, would Cov have been compromised?
Did Rae see the writing on the wall and feel that such a bold move was needed even with the best part of 30 minutes still to play. With Poole not selected for the game and Morgan benched, two of the key leaders were sidelined and it wasn't always clear from the stand where the key decisions were being made. Despite the replacements, not a lot seemed to change and in the face of a Blackheath side that seemed to grow in confidence the longer the game progressed, we looked powerless to shift the momentum.
Had Blackheath won in that final play, I would have obviously been disappointed but I wouldn't have been upset. In some ways for pure grit and tenacity, any neutral watching the game might have felt they deserved it. It's another one of those games you have to put down to experience, so long as it's an experience that makes you all the stronger as a result.
In which case they become brilliant mistakes....
Off the field, I do feel the club has significantly enhanced the match day experience for spectators. This includes the comprehensive online match day program, the food and drink outlets located pitchside and under the main stand, and the upgraded floodlighting providing a more uniform distribution of light (though it might not be as bright?).
The food area opposite the main stand seems to be a popular meeting place before kick off and the food itself much improved on previous seasons without any noticeable increase in costs. Once complete, it will look the part, too.
Personally, although I usually appreciate the pre-match music and chatter, the volume is excessively loud for having meaningful conversations in the main stand before the game begins. On Friday, my grandson, along with two of my children and a partner, joined me, and we had to relocate to the far side of the ground to chat, which shouldn't be required. Just reducing the volume a bit would make so much difference.
Some people find the music during breaks in play unnecessary and sometimes distracting. I'm not a big fan either, but it seems to appeal to many younger members of the crowd, so I wouldn't want it to stop for that reason alone.
2360 odd wasn't a great attendance, even for a Friday night, and with the hospitality tent again looking a little spartan compared to how it was a couple of seasons ago, there must be some concern within the club about the downward trend.
Sure, there was a good atmosphere helped by some decent Blackheath support around us but if income generated through the turnstiles helps fund the playing squad, there might be a squeeze on either numbers or quality incoming next season.
And whilst I'm in a bit of a gripey mood, has anybody else noticed it's seems considerably brighter of late.
While this is beneficial, there is also a drawback. Throughout the entire game, a series of advertisements for club sponsors are displayed. If the game takes place on the far side near the centre of the pitch, these ads can be quite distracting, particularly if they have a large white background. The glare can be quite intense at times.
I understand that sponsors expect a return on their investment from the club, but couldn't advertisements be displayed before and after the game, as well as during half-time, instead of during play? I feel somewhat guilty bringing this up since it seems a bit nitpicky, but considering this is a blog where personal reactions and responses are often shared, I suppose it's alright to mention it.
Finally, I was really pleased that the club decided to observe a minute's silence following the news of the passing of Ian Mitchell. I'm not one for commenting on such occasions normally, but for many years I spent a good few minutes chatting to Ian before every home game and a many ones, too, catching up on news and sharing stories.
We never met outside of the rugby and I know he was a very loyal member of Eric's Army of ground staff who gave so much of their free time in support of the club but me he was the epitome of what rugby is all about. Honesty, integrity and plenty of humour.
I shall miss him.
Up the Cov.
Tim
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