Cambridge v Coventry Rugby - busloads of faith and a chance to ring the changes

You can't depend on the goodly hearted

the goodly hearted made lamp-shades and soap

You can't depend on the Sacrament

no Father, no Holy Ghost

You can't depend on any churches

unless there's real estate you want to buy

You can't depend on a lot of things

you need a busload of faith to get by, woh

Busload of faith to get by

busload of faith to get by

Busload Of Faith To Get By - Lou Reed

If Lou Reed's assertion that all one needs is a busload of faith to navigate through life hold true, Coventry Rugby should be in good shape for their match against Cambridge in Round 3 of the Championship this Saturday.

The team can draw confidence from the overwhelming support of not just one, but two busloads of fans who have shown unwavering faith in Alex Rae's squad, especially after the team's promising displays in the first two fixtures against Scottish and Bedford.

I'm not for a moment dismissing Cambridge chances; their victory at Caldy in Round 2 serves as a timely reminder that there are no guaranteed outcomes in this league. Those who made the journey to Caldy last season can attest to that...and boy was that a sickener back then, and it remains so even now.

That said, if Cov play to their strengths and the pack is as dominant as it has been so far this season, Cambridge are going to have an uphill task if they're to take any points from the game at the weekend.

Watching Cov play away is something I particularly enjoy. The Championship stands out as a league with a wide variety of grounds, ranging from the more traditional venues of Pirates, Bedford, Scottish and Nottingham to the more modern stadia of Donny, Ealing (arguably) and Cov that have potential for expansion, to the more community-oriented clubs with multiple pitches and grounds with limited seating (or even none at all) that can only really cater for smaller crowds.

Of the teams that fall into that final category (which includes Chinnor, Caldy, and Ampthill), for me Cambridge is the most enjoyable one to visit and it doesn't surprise me in the least that the Supporters' Club is able to provide two coaches to travel down to what isn't always regarded as one of the biggest draws when it comes to Championship opposition.

I hope this doesn't come across as patronising, as that's honestly not my intention, although it might be a clumsily worded

What I'm trying to say is that Cambridge is unlikely to feature amongst the top four finishers in the eyes of most Championship supporters come the season's end. Consequently, games at Pirates, Ealing, or Doncaster, where there's more at stake at the top of the table, might be expected to draw more interest.

Yet there's still enough uptake amongst Cov supporters to take two coaches down to Ellgia Fields whereas against the likes of Donny, Bedford, Ealing, it was sometimes a struggle to fill one in past seasons.

And it's pretty clear why Cambridge is so popular amongst Cov supporters.

First there's the historical aspect - ever since Rowland Winter arrived at Cov from Cambridge back in 2016, the two clubs have had close links. Winter brought a couple of players with him, including both James Stokes and Pete White (who's now back there of course), as well as support/coaching staff and there have been plenty of players sent out on loan from Cov to Cambridge in the intervening years, the most notably of which is probably flying wing James Martin.

I think in that first season we might even have taken three coaches down, although that might well be something I've embellished for the telling.

And whilst the 'Winter Factor' does partly explain the soft spot many Cov fans have for Cambridge, it's not the sole reason by any means. For me, it's the most supporter-friendly club we visit on our travels with everyone there going out of their way to make visiting supporters feel welcome.

It's only a relatively small club with crowds averaging just over 1400 last season (against nearly 3400 at the BPA), yet there are more food and drink outlets spread around the main pitch than at most grounds of the bigger grounds, all offering a variety of different foods and drinks. Whilst queuing can be a problem elsewhere, this is seldom the case at Cambridge.

Cambridge has a community club atmosphere, similar to what Coventry Rugby would probably claim to have as well. However, Cambridge benefits from having five additional pitches, allowing for a wider range of community activities on a scale that is not feasible at the BPA. In fairness though, Coventry has established strong connections with local clubs to offer additional facilities.

I do sometimes wonder if Cov would have progressed even more rapidly in recent years had it enjoyed access to the same facilities as a club like Cambridge. With a similar number of additional pitches, Cov could accommodate teams across all age groups, thus enabling the participation of a greater number of young players from an even wider catchment area. The Academy, first established by Rowland Winter, has already witnessed a consistent flow of young players transitioning to professional rugby with Cov. It is intriguing to think about how many additional players could have progressed further if the club had access to six pitches on a single site.

Apologies, I digress...

I know Josh (my grandson) is particularly looking forward to the home-made pizzas that were such a popular choice when we visited Cambridge last season and, heaven forfend, I might even be tempted by the hog roast...

As for the game, well clearly as a Cov supporter I'm hoping for a Cov win, although I've watched far too many games on our travels to expect one!

As for the team, well it would be good to see the coaches make a number of changes, with some of the 'finishers' getting the chance to start for the first time this season.

The club has used Charlie Robson in its promotional material for Saturday's game which is in itself an encouraging sign - he has yet to make a start but his cameo on Saturday was one of the standout performances in a game where many of the players excelled.

Furthermore, Poole, Johnson, Warren, Tyas, Lane, and Okeke have not yet started a Championship game either this season. If these players came into the starting XV and the ones replaced were to be on the bench (most likely Davies, Barton, Nkwocha, Hutler, Ma'asi Trinder, and Nairau), Coventry's strength in depth is such that it would likely have little impact on the final result...(well, that's the theory anyway).

Ringing the changes in this way also helps share the workload, helping keep players rested for longer and potentially lowering the number of injuries in the process.

There's also Chester Owen, Jake Henry (if fit) and Theo Mannion waiting in the wings, all three of whom could be slotted in on the bench or indeed given a place in the starting XV. they're still young and relatively inexperienced at this level, but these are precisely the kinds of games for them to make their mark.

With only two games played, Coventry and Ealing Trailfinders are the only remaining unbeaten teams, highlighting the unpredictable nature of this league. Ealing's close victory against Pirates in their recent away game indicates that both teams are likely to be fighting it out at the top in May. Coventry will need to win matches like this one against Cambridge on Saturday if it is to stay competitive alongside them.

There's certainly going to be a lot of Coventry support down there and with them busloads of faith...

Let's hope Lou Reed got it right, then...

Up the Cov!

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