Coventry Rugby 64 Worcester Warriors 28 - invading Warriors mauled by 9 try Cov in tactical masterclass

They want us to allege and pledge and bow down to their god

Lost the culture, the culture lost...

...Ignorance has taken over

Yo, we gotta take the power back

The rage is relentless

We need a movement with a quickness

You are the witness of change and to counteract

We gotta take the power back

Yeah, we gotta take the power back

C'mon, c'mon

We gotta take the power back

Take The Power Back - Rage Against The Machine

It's rare to witness an 80 minute performance but those Cov supporters present at the NNS on Saturday had the privilege of watching just that from a Cov side that met an early Worcester onslaught in the opening quarter head on, made the most of what limited opportunities came their way to take an early 19 point lead and then just ground the fight out of a Worcester side that by the end looked broken and, frankly, shell-shocked.

Once Cov had exposed Worcester's soft underbelly, it was very much game over for the visitors.

In the first 20 minutes or so, however, Worcester were the stronger team, and their numerous fans might have well have felt disappointed at halftime when they went in trailing 19-14.

The comeback was most definitely on but, as it turned out, the break occurred at just the right moment for Cov and precisely the wrong one for Worcester.

Cov's second half performance was immense. Worcester just had no answer to Coventry's pace and power. We were tactically far more astute than a pretty one-dimensional Warriors' side that seemed unable, or unwilling, to change their tactics until it was far too late in the game to have any real impact.

But those six second half tries only came about because Coventry's defence had laid such solid foundations in the first half. In fairness, Worcester had given their all against Cov in the early stages, with Cov twice managing to fend off Worcester near their line, including holding the ball up. It was 'backs to the wall' stuff for a while.

To add insult to injury, Cov then turned defence into attack in the blink of an eye to give Opoku-Fordjour the first of his three tries and it was this speed in transition that had Worcester on the back foot for much of the game from thereon in. In the stand it was tough to watch at times in those opening exchanges but on the pitch it always looked as if Cov were in control, there was no panic, no unforced errors, just 15 players working as one.

It was the classic dope-a-rope tactic. Worcester eventually managed to cross our line for a couple of tries from close in but Cov had done enough by then to know they had the beating of the visitors if they stuck to their game plan.

If there were bonus points awarded for the impact the coaches have on a game, then they would have definitely gone to Alex Rae and his team. They'd clearly done their homework on Warriors and had selected a squad that they felt would negate the potential threats that might come from the backs in particular. Picking Barton and Thomas to start (making his first start in a long time) was key, allowing Maunder and Mathews to come on when the came had opened up and ensure the backs were able to see plenty of ball against a ragged and disorganised defence. Everard, on the other hand, chose to stick with an ineffective Billy Twelvetrees at 10, a decision that was increasingly questionable the longer the game went on.

With two backrowers in Nayalo and Graham at 4 and 5, the result of injuries and unavailability, the lineout was a potential area of concern for me. Coventry had more than once expressed the view that Tyas and his team were the best analysts in the league over the last couple of seasons prior to his departure to Worcester, so with his inside knowledge of Cov and with two specialist jumpers at 4 and 5, well it wasn't beyond the realms of possibility that it was an area of the game in which we might struggle.

As it was, they didn't win a steal all afternoon. Have to say, that was particularly satisfying.

I thought Graham was exceptional and although DOF was the sponsors' MotM, he would have been mine - he was everywhere on Saturday.

In the first half, the Cov pack put in a huge shift, particularly defensively. They gave no quarter and in the end were the reason why the Coventry backs were able to wreak such havoc in the final 20 minutes or so as the players tired and the game inevitably opened up. They withstood plenty of Worcester pressure and gradually started to make inroads into a very static Worcester defence. It's not often Kvesic is out Kvesic-ed but Morgan Strong had the better of him on Saturday. For every Kvesic drive there were two from Strong and he was just as effective at the breakdown.

And it's not often the former Cov 8 is knocked backwards but when Oli Morris took him out in one particularly ferocious tackle, there were gasps of surprise from the main stand around us.

There was plenty of disappointment this time last year when it was announced that 5 or so players were leaving Cov to join Worcester, anger even. But 12 months on I'm not sure any of those who left would be automatic selections for a staring place in this current squad, even Kvesic. Nkwocha maybe although I'd question his loyalty a little. The fact that there are so few leavers this year is indicative of the spirit this group of players has developed in such a short space of time and perhaps is one of the reasons why, despite the bigger names in the Worcester squad, Cov had the beating of them. Cov played as a team, by the end of the game Worcester didn't. Talented individuals for sure, but lacking something nevertheless.

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In comparison to Cov, Matt Everard amassed a squad over the summer that is older and far more experienced that Coventry's, with a far greater number of bigger name players who have dropped down a level to be part of Project Sixways. There was plenty of talk, back then, of Worcester gaining a place in the Prem, either through merit or otherwise, within a couple of seasons, but with this looking increasingly unlikely until 2030 at least, those same players are now left in limbo. Motivating them might be a problem given Everard has said publicly that most of his squad were given multi-year contracts.

If, as is claimed, Worcester has a playing budget that is less than the four biggest spenders in The Champ, then they have little room to bring many new players which, given the way the season has ended for them, must be a real worry. And big budget names - even less likely, surely?

Among Alex Rae's numerous strengths is his skill in identifying young talent and nurturing it with the assistance of his outstanding coaching staff. Any egos have been filtered out, resulting in a cohesive group of 32 or 33 players, along with a few talented academy youngsters, who have bonded into a tightly knit group of players who play for the badge as much as for themselves. Yes, we have one or two senior pros but they have been with us a while now - the likes of Poole, Ball, Nayalo, Maunder, Barton, players who have shown their loyalty to the club. Morgan Strong perhaps is the exception here, but despite fears he might be destined for bigger (although not necessarily better) things, he's with us for another season at least. And the supporters love him.

One aspect I really like about Rae is the confidence he shows in his players. Last weekend, facing a resurgent Pirates team down at the Mennaye and dealing with injuries and suspensions that affected team selection, he chose not to rely on loans and dual registrations as is so often the norm these days. Instead, he trusted two of his youngest players, giving a Senior Academy player, Sam Harding, his first start (even out of position in the second row) and placing 21-year-old hooker Murray Davidson in the back row. Such decisions provide young players with a significant boost and potentially foster loyalty and commitment that might not otherwise develop. You reap what you sow, and Coventry Rugby has invested a lot in its youth development over the past couple of seasons.

Compare Cov's back three of Bacon, Opoku-Fordjour and Reeves for instance (even without Pete Sullivan) to that of Worcester's Gonzales, Garside and Bassett. Whilst the visitor's backs might be better known and have greater experience, it's the Cov trio who really stole the show - much of the reason being down to a style of play that ensured they saw far more of the ball than their counterparts. We played to our strengths whereas Warriors didn't. It was small wonder that Garside looked so unhappy when he was taken off after 50 minutes despite looking threatening on the back of what little ball he did receive and putting in a try scoring tackle to deny Opoku in the first half).

Looking at comments made by many Worcester Warriors fans on various socials, there is a fair degree of unrest in the ranks right now. There are those who maintain that this has been a successful first season and, indeed, fourth in the league from a standing start is, they argue, encouraging.

Yet, I don't entirely buy it. Had Worcester had a poor start to their campaign and results gradually improved the longer the season went on, then yes. But results have nosedived somewhat with four losses in the last four games and questions being asked by their supporters of both the ability of the coaching staff and the desire and motivation of the players. Indeed, following the Coventry result, things have imploded somewhat - with one supporter even suggesting that the players donate a month's salary too a charity of the supporters' choosing!

There are serious questions that will need answering for sure, but Warriors are far too good a side to be written off like this. They'll bounce back against a tough Chinnor side. They've got to, there's no other option.

The problem for Warriors fans, as I see it, is that up until Christmas they believed everyone else saw there side as very much the 'enfant terrible' of The Champ, disliked by many for reasons which they felt were unfair, and in the case of some supporters (like those from Cov) grossly hypocritical. We see it differently, of course, but as a group it united them against a common foe and in so doing gave them strength.

Now, however, there is a general acceptance that Worcester are here to stay and whilst they might not have earned the right to be here, here they are and they're here to stay until the RFU can find a route back to the Prem for them, perhaps. The world has, rightly, moved on as have discussions about The Champ. All of which means that for Worcester fans, discussions no longer focus on the iniquities of others but rather on the performances of their team - and suddenly there's dissention in the ranks. The cracks have started to appear and the mood in the camp is not quite as harmonious as it was.

And that in turn puts pressure on the players. They almost certainly won't be reading these comments but they'll be aware of them. External pressures create internal tensions which are hard to break free of. It reminds me a little of the final season of the Maynard era when Scott Morgan took over and his failure to turn things round led to the arrival on one Rowland Winter.

Regarding Cov, the performance against Worcester was perfectly timed. With season ticket renewals starting today and most supporters still buzzing after the weekend, the uptake is likely to meet all of Cov's expectations. Coupled with a well-received price freeze, this should ensure that most season ticket holders return next season, despite inconsistent attendances throughout the season. Will Worcester's dismal form of late have the opposite effect, I wonder.

Hopefully, announcing a few new signings will also generate additional interest...

Will Worcester's dismal form of late have the opposite effect, I wonder.

All in all a really pleasing performance, one which we'd been threatening for some time. It shouldn't really have surprised Worcester, they will have seen some of our recent performances and know that we've averaged over 40 points a game this season - when we click, there are few teams that can live with our expansive, off-loading game that is played at pace. We know we'll make mistakes, too, but on Saturday these were few and far between. We were organised and disciplined and the penalty count was well under double figures which always makes a huge difference (and not a yellow card in sight!).

If we can do the same against If we can maintain this form and accuracy over just three more games, then anything is possible, even away to Ealing should we get that far.

Great to see several players coming out before the warm-up to enjoy the sun and just relax. Great to see that sort of bond between the players before such a big game.

Up the Cov!

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https://youtu.be/bWXazVhlyxQ?si=xRfQ2BCYqkQLnF9U