What I've got they used to call the blues...
What I feel is come and gone before
No need to talk it out
We know what it's all about
Hangin' around, nothing to do but frown
Rainy days and Mondays always get me down
Rainy Days and Mondays - The Carpenters
Rain days and Mondays might not have done it for Karen and Richard, but as it happens, they proved to be the perfect combination for Coventry Rugby yesterday as it defied both the elements and a large, yet oddly subdued, Goldington Road crowd to beat Bedford and take top spot in the Championship for the next couple of weeks at least.
In front of a capacity 5000, Cov played the game very much as it wanted, slowing the game down wherever possible and keeping Bedford's free-scoring backs quiet for much of the game.
For a brief period in the second half when Cov were down to 13 (and 6 in the pack), the crowd came to life, hopeful that they were about to witness a Bedford resurgence. It never happened and thereafter there was little else for the crowd to get animated about as Coventry turned the screw.
Cov's game management was spot on yesterday and whilst Bedford had passages in the game where they saw plenty of ball, especially in the second half, Coventry's defence was superb and come the end of the 80 minutes the home side were well beaten.
It was a most un-Bedford like performance in many respects. They've become synonymous with a very open, attacking style of play with the ability to score tries from anywhere on the pitch, the likes of French and Adamson capable of severely damaging the very best defences in this league.
Most weeks Beford are nominated in the 'Championship try of the Week' poll, yet all three of Bedford's tries yesterday came from mauls in our 22 and although there were flashes of brilliance from Bedford's wide runners, a very organised Coventry defence, one or two last ditch tackles, some poor Bedford discipline and some increasingly inclement weather in the second half all combined to negate any real threat.
We deserved the win yesterday and in many respects, it was one of the best away performances Cov supporters have seen for a good while. Whereas at Ampthill, for instance, Cov failed to make the most of its territorial advantage for much of the game, yesterday the side took its chances superbly and made sure that any foray into Bedford's 22 in the first half ended up with points on the board.
Cov ran down the clock brilliantly with set pieces taking an inordinate time to be completed. All perfectly legal but frustrating for the opposition and increasingly so for the home supporters.
Coventry's defensive line was up quickly, often too quickly if you listened to the home crowd (with some justification on occasions?) and as a result Bedford had little space or time to use what ball they did have in that first half. They were forced to play off scraps really but even then, had it not been for a couple of last-ditch tackles and a scrambled defence, the game might have been a good deal closer after 40 minutes.
12-28 though was a pretty fair reflection of play at half time.
The second half was always going to be a lot trickier with Cov playing uphill on a damp pitch that was getting heavier and heavier as the rains came down. The one-man advantage Cov enjoyed at the restart was soon evened up, and then reversed, when first Kwacha and then Poole received yellows and Cov were forced to play 8 or 9 minutes with just 13 players on the pitch.
This was the only phase in the game where the result was in question. A two-man advantage in increasingly difficult conditions in front of a crowd that for a few minutes had found its voice - well, let's just say I was a little edgy for a brief period. It says much for this group of players that despite conceding a penalty try that led to Poole's yellow, they held firm and after a series of phases in which Bedford looked like they might score, Cov won a huge turnover and from then on appeared to be relatively comfortable.
Having to watch Nayalo throw the ball into the line-out was something I really don't want to go through again though (he was lucky to get away with his first which looked distinctly 'not straight' from where we were sitting)!
And once Cov had their full complement of players back on the pitch, for those last 20 minutes or so Cov were pretty much in control. Since the disappointment of Ampthill, Cov have been far more inclined to opt for the three points in tight situations and with Pat Pellegrini showing far more consistency from the kicking tee these last couple of games, Cov look all the better for it.
This was very much a team effort. In fact, I'm not sure I could single out any one player to be 'Man of the Match'. Everyone played their part.
For the third week running, the scrum looked far more solid (bar a couple of wobbles) and with both Andy Nichol and Suva Ma'asi taking part in the pre-match warm up, things are looking up in that department. If Toby Trinder isn't out for too long, then the scrum could have some real bite to it in the final months of the season, given the progress shown by Chilvers and Salt in recent weeks and the addition of the impressive Nairau.
The line-out functioned well too, which is more than can be said for Bedford's - it all but fell apart in the second half.
This was a thoroughly professional performance from Cov, underpinned by the experience of players such as Chudley, Kvesic and Poole who are such calming influences when the pressure is on. Interestingly, Alex Rae has often given all three a rest after 60 minutes or so, allowing the bench to come on and do its thing. Not so yesterday though. All three played the full 80 minutes (other than Poole who got a 10-minute break whilst on the naughty step) - perhaps an indication of just how important their contribution was to yesterday's result? James Tyas appeared to struggling a little and he did well to last almost 60 minutes, too. I know we think of this squad being a young one, which it obviously is, but the experience that the likes of Chudley, Kvesic, Tyas and Poole bring to the team shouldn't be underestimated.
A word, too, for Ollie Betteridge. Not even in the match day squad on Sunday, Ollie found himself starting the game as a result of Will Wand's absence (I presume he suffered a late injury/reaction to training in the week?). He played the full 80 minutes and did a sterling job, especially defensively. When you line up opposite Venter and Le Bourgeois and with Adamson and French out wide, then you have to be at your best and Ollie certainly proved himself more than capable. I was really chuffed for the youngster who hasn't seen a lot of game time - understandably I guess with Wand, Rigg and Titherington all in front of him in the pecking order.
I'm not a great one for noticing individual performances from amongst the opposition as I tend to be a bit one-eyed and focus on what Cov's doing. However, just a quick word on the Bedford 7 - Joe Howard. I thought he had a really strong game, especially carrying the ball. He's not the biggest 7 I've ever seen but he does hit the tackle hard and regularly breaks the gain line. Thought he had an excellent game.
Cov then, are top of the table. We all thought that Ealing would be clear favourites pre-season and that still appears to be the case after 9 rounds. It's not beyond the realms of possibility though that they could slip up again and they've still got to come to the BPA - if Cov are there or thereabouts when they do and in front of what would certainly be another 4000 plus gate, then the impossible is anything but that.
Realistically though, Cov should be targeting the second spot at least. Although Doncaster and Bedford both have games in-hand, I think it's fair to say Coventry haven't been quite as consistent as they would have hoped in the first 8 games of the season, with loses to Ampthill and Hartpury being particularly disappointing. Were they to finish this season as they did last, then the next 5 months or so could be particularly interesting for anyone following Coventry.
It would be remiss of me to write a post on yesterday's game and not comment on the hospitality shown by Bedford. Despite it being a capacity crowd (something Cov weren't quite able to achieve just the week before against Nottingham), the club seemed more than able to cope with a crowd 2500 more than their average gate for this season.
Fair play to Bedford - they know how to look after supporters, both home and away.
There are lessons to be learned...
Around the ground there were 8 (yes, EIGHT) coffee outlets and 3 food. The two outdoor ones only offered fast food options, the ubiquitous burger (and sausage!) and fries, so they are tarred with the same brush as Cov in that respect, but there was no queuing of note and I heard no complaints from supporters about waiting times at the several pop-up bars dotted around the ground, either.
As for the lack of healthy food options, it wasn't really an issue as there was no bag search in operation which meant that anyone who wanted/needed or required a healthier option than a burger or fries could have brought their own food into the ground, as would be the case if you understandably hadn't wanted to force feed younger children with the same.
There also seemed to be a proliferation of stewards spread right around the ground, every one of them offering unsolicited new year felicitations, adding greatly to the friendly atmosphere that was prevalent throughout the afternoon.
The ground has a real 'old-school' feel to it, with odd gaps filled with various bars, little offices and food outlets.
The sloping pitch also adds to the general feeling that this is a traditional club in every sense of the word. From top to bottom there is, apparently, something like an 8ft drop which is not inconsiderable. Playing against that in the second half, on a wet and energy sapping pitch, must have taken a lot out of the Cov players and it is to their credit that they finished as strongly as they did. The S&C coaches have obviously been earning their keep over the last few weeks and months.
Sitting here as I am now, tapping away on the keyboard, I can't help but smile when I look back at the old BPA grass pitch - imagine the state it would be in now after all the recent rain and the hammering it would have taken had there been a home game yesterday!
But back to Goldington Road - even the rugby posts have an antiquated, rather shabby chic, look to them.
It's definitely one of my favourite grounds to visit - and everyone is always upbeat and friendly.
I do think Cov did a good thing by agreeing to move the date of the fixture forward to enable Bedford to benefit from such a large attendance on the day. I hope that this is something other clubs will take note of when it comes to key dates of the year, particularly on bank holidays and that we'll see the same flexibility elsewhere in the Championship.
As I mentioned in the previous blog, it's also done us some favours too, of course. With Adam Nicol and Suva Ma'asi evidently fit enough to do some training, they should be pretty close to selection by the time Cov travel down to Scottish in just under three weeks. Hopefully, Cov haven't picked up any further injuries and can select from almost a full squad for that game.
From listening to CWR's post-game interview with Will Rigg, it appears that the players have got a few days off now. It's hard to argue that they haven't earned a break but with a longer than usual gap before the next game, hopefully we'll see no loss of tempo.
The Scottish game is on a Saturday. I'm always at my happiest watching Cov on a Saturday afternoon, an enduring legacy from my childhood when Saturday afternoons in the Winter months were always built round watching Coventry back then.
I'm sure I've watched Cov on a Monday before, although goodness knows when the last time that occurred was.
And after such a confident Coventry performance in weather that was less than inviting, at least I can say now in all honestly that rainy days and Mondays don't always get me down.
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