Ampthill 21 Coventry Rugby 45 - definitely no walk in the Park as Cov made to work hard for the win

Oh, time is on my side, yes it is

Time is on my side, yes it is

You're searching for good times

But just wait and see

You'll come running back (I won't have to worry no more)

You'll come running back (spend the rest of my life with you, baby)

You'll come running back to me

Time Is On My Side - The Rolling Stones

These days wherever there's a Will at Cov, there's very often a second not too far behind...(Photo courtesy of John Coles)

In just three games time many Cov supporters will look back over the course of the season and measure Coventry's overall success in terms of its performances against Jersey at home and Ealing away. These were huge efforts against the top sides, results that sent out a clear message to everyone in the Championship that Cov was very much a team on the up and demanding a place at the top table (top table and heading for the top seat, too).

Had Jersey beaten us at ours instead of drawing (and they were lucky to get two points out the game by my reckoning), they would have been a point ahead of Ealing at this stage. Will that prove the decisive result in this year's competition, I wonder? King makers this season, crowned the next. Who knows...?

For me though, whilst both those games illustrate the potential this squad has, what's been especially pleasing is the consistent performances against mid to lower placed teams, ones on paper that we should be beating if we are ever to be a top two side and ones we've regularly failed to beat in seasons past, especially away from home. Yes, wins against the top two sides are always welcome, but they will count for little unless we are regularly taking the points from the teams below them.

Yesterday's 5 pointer is the perfect example of this.

Ampthill have been our nemesis for a while now - I think this was the fourth or fifth time I've been to Dillingham Park and on all those previous occasions I've witnessed a Cov loss, mostly in tight games - the 'could have/should have' variety that leave you ultimately feeling a bit miffed that we didn't really do ourselves justice.

Games that very much come under the label 'banana skins'.

Good sides, really good sides, don't lose these sorts of games. Jersey and Ealing power through them and even if they're not firing on all cylinders, they'll still win. Cov aren't there yet, as defeats away to Hartpury and Cornish Pirates have shown, but there are some very encouraging signs. As both Pirates and Doncaster have found out to their cost, a good finish one season doesn't make for much unless you can follow it up the year after. Neither club has managed that this season after 2nd and 3rd finishes in 2021-22.

Let's hope Cov can buck that trend in '23 -'24.

Ampthill's ground in the Spring sunshine

It's easy to see why Ampthill had won their previous four games. They are a very decent side, well worth a mid-table finish (edited...thanks, Paul). They caused Cov real problems at times yesterday and had Coventry not virtually won the game in those opening 10 minutes or so, it might well have made for a very nervy last quarter for both sets of supporters.

Coventry's start was as good as anything we've seen all season away from home, with Rigg, Martin and Smith scoring tries before the crowd had barely had time to settle. Most teams would have folded under that sort of pressure, but all credit to Ampthill - they clawed their way back into the game and 15 minutes later had pulled the score back to 28 -14 and it was Coventry's turn to be on the defensive.

Ampthill's forwards are big; not particularly honed but certainly strong and they carry the ball well. A yellow card for Will TD for a deliberate knock on after 12 minutes probably helped derail Coventry's whirlwind opening to the game as the away side had to regroup a little, allowing Ampthill back into a game had looked like being over well before the break.

Marshalled by the lively Lewis Finlay at scrum half, Ampthill carried the ball well and Ampthill's 9 was able to use some quick ball to get the backs moving and put us on the back foot. Having been a little disparaging of their forward dominated play in the past, yesterday they played some fluid, entertaining rugby - both sides did to be fair - which made it a really enjoyable game to watch.

Previous Coventry sides would have really struggled against such a potent attack, but this Coventry side isn't just built around it's attacking options. In the first half, Cov were able to win some important ball at the breakdown and with the scrum faring much better than in the last three or four games, the set piece became an asset rather than a liability, other than in the final few minutes when Ampthill got the better of us.

It very much looked like Ampthill would be going into the half time break just 2 tries behind and it was beginning to feel as if the second half might be a much tighter contest. Fortunately though, George Smith got his second of the afternoon to make things a little more comfortable and ensure Cov supporters could breathe a little easier as the whistle blew for the break. A 33-14 lead was probably a little more than we deserved but there weren't going to be any complaints from the large contingent of Coventry supporters who had made the trip down to Dillingham Park.

Smith first try after just 10 minutes was a real corker - from 25m plus out, he fairly romped to the line, opting to go it alone rather than pass to the player who was clear on his left. He showed a fair old turn of speed, too, and I'd swear blind he threw the semblance of a dummy to wrong-foot the defender before going over. I might well just be embellishing that though; I'm looking forward to the highlights just for a bit of clarification on that one.

When the game opened up again in the second half as Ampthill looked, but ultimately failed, to get a much deserved fourth try and resulting bonus point, Cov's defence was really put to the test yet again. Having had little joy using their forwards to hammer holes in our midfield, they used their backs to get the ball out wide, particularly to Ben Campriani who was real handful, but Cov's backs tracked back well and prevented Ampthill from scoring with a couple of last ditch tackles. Cov held their defensive line for the most part and yesterday several times Ampthill found the pressure such that they either knocked on or kicked the ball straight out; mistakes that were the result more of Coventry's defence rather than their sloppiness.

Attack might be the best form of defence for some teams, but Cov has proved this wrong on several occasions this season. It was a very strong defensive performance from Cov; it needed to be, too. In the second half they lacked the intensity of those opening first salvos and a few basic handling errors started to creep in, but some of that was in part also down to Ampthill who never gave up in pursuit of that elusive bonus point.

George Smith warming up before the game yesterday

Once again this was a really good team display, with no one player really standing out. I thought George Smith was as good as I've seen him in a Cov shirt, assured in the lineout and strong in the loose. More often than not, for me props and second rows go unnoticed but Smith caught the eye and didn't look out of place at this level in the slightest.

Whilst I still think the second row is an area that will need strengthening next season, Alex Rae will surely have been delighted with Smith's work rate yesterday.

Louis Brown had a very solid game at full back, every dependable under the high ball and whilst he didn't cause the problems he sometimes does with ball in hand, his tactical kicking was excellent and he was even able to produce another one of those 50-22s with the outside of his left foot that seem to defy the laws of physics.

James Martin is becoming a shoe-in out on the wing these days. He looks to be getting stronger by the week and continues to break the gain line almost every time he gets the ball, as well as putting in some thunderous tackles at times. Another two tries yesterday won't do his confidence any harm either, although he's not someone who appears to be lacking in that department to be fair.

Alex Rae was realistic in his post-match comments, giving credit to Ampthill for never allowing the game to go away from them, despite the pressure of that opening three try burst, whilst also being very proud of his team for doing what no Cov side had previously done, win a league game there. Litotes isn't always what you expect to hear from any coach these days, but 'It's a really good win for us' just about falls into that bracket, given the context of the victory.

Paul Turner, Ampthill's Head Coach, was rather less reticent to say it as he saw it, 'We're disappointed with that performance, we lost the game in the first half. 'We were poor, made too many errors, and left too big a difference to catch up'. Sure he will have been frustrated by the way his side conceded those opening tries but there were plenty of positives to come out of the game for Ampthill I would have thought. But having won their last 4 games, playing at home it's probably an understandable reaction. and he was generous in defeat, accepting that the score line was a fair reflection of the game.

And there was no criticism of the officials from either quarter which is always pleasing to (not?) hear.

Ampthill generates a fair deal of antipathy in certain quarters outside of their own supporters, much of which is justified. The facilities are poor and for anyone suffering a disability or illness that prevents them from walking any distance, or on even on uneven surfaces, it is almost prohibitive. Despite the slopes of the banked two sides, if you're watching from near the top, especially along the side of the pitch, your view isn't great as those in front often impede your line of sight.

But Ampthill has earned it's right to play in this league and should be allowed to do so, just as Ealing should be allowed to ply their trade in the Premiership.

I know I've shot myself in the foot before even starting that last sentence given the health and safety implications but I'd hate to see Ampthill denied a place in the Championship as they are such a good advert for community orientated clubs. I guess I just tend to favour the underdogs in these situations. Heart over head.

896 watched the game yesterday, easily their biggest gate of the season. There were a good few Coventry supporters making themselves heard throughout the game too, with a full Supporters' Club coach and a number making their own way there helping to swell the numbers.

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'Time is on my side, yes it is/You're searching for good times/But just wait and see/You'll come running back'

5 attempts but finally we got the win down there, one we fully deserved.

Let's hope with more of the same next season, those fans who might have fallen out of love with Cov in the past will indeed come running back to the BPA, if they haven't already.

Well worth a watch this...poor Ed Sullivan looks very unnerved by the audience's response