Richmond 17 Coventry Rugby 52 - Alex's half-time changes offer a Rae of hope

On the road again

Like a band of gypsies, we go down the highway

We're the best of friends

Insistin' that the world keep turnin' our way

And our way

Is on the road again

I just can't wait to get on the road again

The life I love is makin' music with my friends

I can't wait to get on the road again

No, I can't wait to get on the road again

I can't wait to get on the road again

On the Road Again - Willie Nelson

Leading 14-12 at half time, the game was finely balanced.

Whilst a times Cov appeared more than capable of breaking through Richmond's stubborn defence, they couldn't capitalise on their territorial advantage. Conversely, whenever the home side worked their way into our 22, they looked a threat and at the break the result was in the balance.

I don't think anyone watching expected anything other than another tight 40 minutes and with Coventry's second half performances this season being less than convincing, there were a few worried looks amongst the Coventry faithful sitting in the stand near us. We'd already lost two players to injury and a yellow card hadn't helped our cause either. Yes, we'd got ourselves into positions from which we should have scored further but the lineout had misfired a little and we looked a little sluggish around the breakdown.

So, scoring 38 points in the second half wasn't on most people's radar, far from it in fact. It was a game that had all the makings of a close, nervy finish in which the result would be decided by the team that made the fewest errors. Further, we'd already used two of the replacements for the injured Dan Green and Josh Thomas, so there was a slight concern that we might be short on the bench as the game entered the final quarter.

And here's where Alex Rae deserves huge credit.

When the players emerged after the break, four more players had been replaced, leaving just two in reserve. Six replacements by the start of the second half is virtually unheard of and I certainly can't recall a Cov game where this has happened since the match day squad was increased to 23, although I'm happy to be corrected.

At the time, it appeared to be a significant risk, at least to me. Additionally, Maunder predictably entered the game shortly after for Josh Barton, leaving young Murray Davidson as the sole finisher for more than half an hour. It's unclear whether the numerous half-time changes were part of the game plan or a response to a less than impressive first half, but I recall thinking at the time that AR had placed all his eggs in the one basket and that it was a bold move on his part.

It was Mark Twain, I believe, who remarked that it was fine to use your eggs in such a way, provided that you keep a careful watch on the basket. Rae had evidently assessed where Cov needed adjustments and was assured that his match day squad was robust enough to ensure that any alterations he made wouldn't compromise the overall strength of the Cov team. In short, he had complete faith in the basket...it was just some of the its contents need resorting.

Here's a list of those replacements:

Tommy Mathews for Josh Thomas on 16

Jack Shine for Dan Green on 20

Daffyd-Rhys Tiueti for Oli Morris on 40

Aristot Benz-Saloman for Toby Trinder on 40

Matt Johnson for Eliot Salt on 40

Mackenzie Graham for Tom Ball on 40

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Sam Maunder for Josh Barton on 48

Murray Davidson for Jordon Poole on 64

Post-match, there have been plenty of comments rightly praising the likes of Maunder and Mathews (thanks, Paul) for their roles in changing the momentum of the game, but I've not heard or read anything regarding what was for me a very different, a very tactical and very brave use of the bench. Had there been a couple of further injuries at the start of the second half, then Cov could have been really exposed but, as it was, the plan worked to perfection - Cov scored within 2 minutes of the restart and Cov started to play with a degree of freedom that has been lacking for much of the season so far.

Alex Rae played an absolute blinder yesterday and he deserves all the credit he gets for it; his decision to make wholesale changes so early in the game was the turning point, of that there can be little doubt.

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Richmond Athletic Park, lovingly dubbed the RAG, is the grandpa of sports grounds—old school and proud of it. It's a RONSEAL kind of place, doing exactly what it promises with no frills or fuss. Forget about fan zones, street food, or play areas for the kids; this place is as straightforward as they come. Once you step in, you'll find a stand that stretches about two-thirds of one side of the pitch, and that's pretty much the whole shebang.

If you're feeling peckish or thirsty, you have to exit the main ground, then head to the clubhouse/food area through a different entrance. To make sure you don't get lost in the time warp, the stewards will give you a groovy hand stamp, proving you've paid. It's like a blast from the past, straight out of the 70s and early 80s.

The RAG has remained largely unchanged over the years and is all the better for it. While some facilities are little basic, this simplicity adds to its charm. Instead of pretending to be something it's not, it appeals to rugby enthusiasts who prioritise the game above all else, making everything else secondary to that experience.

The pitch was in great shape, as you'd expect so early in the season. It was cut much shorter than the one at Chinnor, which would have made it less demanding for the Cov players who are now used to training and playing on astro surfaces of course these days. (I did notice, however, that Api Bavandra experienced cramps on a couple of occasions, possibly because he mainly plays sevens and isn't used to spending such long shifts on the field?).

The RAG is one of the grounds I always enjoying visiting and whilst there's never much interaction with the home supporters, it's always welcoming and at £14 when pre-booked, it's one of the cheapest places to what Champ rugby in the league.

It's not trying to be all fancy, and you definitely won't stumble upon any vans hawking Greek or Chinese food, and forget about pizzas or wraps!

Josh has visited the RAG on a number of occasions already and despite the lack of choice, he has always enjoyed the fayre on offer. Yesterday, he opted for the sausage roll and chips, although in fairness there wasn't a great deal else available - a burger or grilled sausage, perhaps, but that was about it? But young Josh couldn't resist the allure of some greasy treats and he happily devoured the sausage roll and chips both before and after the game. (Fingers crossed his mom—my daughter—doesn't find out, or I'll be in the doghouse for sure!).

Brushing away the crumbs as he spoke, he happily awarded the meal a worthy 7. The sausage pastry was flaky and well-cooked although he did feel the sausage meat itself was a little dry. The chips were crispy but weren't overly warm. Priced at £6.50, it offered good value,certainly better than at Worcester and even Cov, although the limited menu was a disappointment.

With no refreshment areas within the main ground and bottled water only available from the dining area/bar, drink outlets were few and far between (although there was a very good fresh coffee stall near the entrance into the ground).

So, as of this week, the Unofficial Champ Food Watch standings for 2025/26 are:

The Unofficial Champ Food Watch - 2025/26

1. Chinnor 7.5

2. Worcester Warriors 7

3. Richmond 7

4. Coventry Rugby 6.5

Only 750 people attended the game yesterday, making it one of the lowest, if not the lowest, turnouts at a Championship game I've seen since our promotion in 2018 (excluding the Covid period). I do understand that several major sporting events took place close to Richmond's ground yesterday, but even so, it's difficult to see how clubs can operate with such low support. It wasn't just Richmond that experienced this - Bedford had fewer than 2,200 attendees, and Pirates had 1,504. While Worcester drew an impressive 7,500 for their game against London Scottish, it's still significantly less than the 9,000 who attended the Cov game.

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In the end, then, Cov won the game with plenty to spare but they'd made hard work of it for much of the first half. Losing both Dan Green and Josh Thomas meant that the team had to regroup but it wasn't until Sam Maunder appeared that Cov began to show some fluidity and spaces began to open up for the likes of Pete Sullivan to excel.

Thomas has possession of the 10 shirt at the moment and he does have a sweet left foot on him but I do welcome the fact that Mathews likes to get the backs moving and seems to be a little more attack-minded. Yesterday, he seemed to link well with Maunder and between them they dictated the pace of the game in the second half.

The scrum appeared strong in the first 40 minutes, securing a couple of penalties and pushing the Richmond pack backwards. However, I thought Matt Johnson wase outstanding when he came on, putting in a significant defensive shift, effectively holding up players and slowing down Richmond's possession.

Onisivoro Sukani Nayagi, making his first start in a Cov shirt, seemed to fit in really well and was prominent with the ball at times; he already looks a far better acquisition than Daniel Okeke was last season. Graham again worked really hard and his mobility around the pitch is a great asset. And although David Opoku-Fordjour hasn't quite hit the kind of form we saw from him towards the backend of last season, Pete Sullivan looks to be in a rich vein of form and at the moment he is unstoppable from 10 metres out.

After the break, the entire team appeared to play with much more confidence. This might have been due to an Alex Rae 'hairdryer' moment or a strategically planned series of tactical adjustments that took advantage of known weaknesses in Richmond's game? Whatever prompted those four changes at halftime, the transformation they brought about in Cov's play was remarkable.

Admittedly taken a little in isolation, what the game did show is that Cov are probably a level above those teams in the bottom four in the Champ but, as we've seen against both Ealing and even Worcester, still some way short of the very best in the league. We do have a relatively small squad and further injuries to Green and Thomas will put further pressure on our limited player resources.

Is it Rae's intention to dip into the loan/dr market at some point or are we planning to rely on some of the Academy players breaking into the squad later in the season?

In the past two or three weeks, one of the primary topics of discussion among supporters has been the absence of a replacement for James Scaysbrook, the former defence coach who departed to join the Irish Women's team. It would appear that there isn't going to be an announcement any time soon which is fine, but it would be interesting to hear from the club why this is the case.

Is the club considering filling the role internally, possibly with the help of a senior player, or are Gordon Ross and Steve Boden collaborating with Alex Rae to address the gap? Alternatively, is the issue simply a lack of funds to hire someone with the necessary expertise for this level? This would be completely understandable and likely wouldn't lead to any undue criticism. However, I believe an explanation is necessary because, without one, the club will always face criticism about the absence of a defence coach whenever it loses.

That said, we won yesterday, and in the end won in some style.

Up the Cov!

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