Coventry 42 Hartpury 19 - How Was It For You?

Was it as good as it was for me

Well that's the best it's ever been

And you're the best I've ever seen

How was it for you

How was it for you

How Was It For You - James

Well then, how was it for you?

The best it's ever been?

The best you've ever seen?

Photo courtesy of John Coles

Probably not...

...but there were spells in the game yesterday when Cov played some irresistible rugby.

Irresistible to watch and irresistible to defend against, as Hartpury found out to their cost in two purple periods at the start of each half.

So good was it that supporters all around were shaking their heads at the sheer tempo Cov were playing at, as forwards and backs combined to produce some of the best rugby the BPA has seen for a long time.

Quick interchanges, players always in support and some of the best handling you could expect to see at this level meant that Hartpury were left chasing shadows at times. 2 tries up in 7 mins and the crowd had barely had time to settle. It was mesmeric. I'm not sure any team we've played in the league this season could have defended their line against such pace and power.

Cov were never going to keep up that level of intensity, but for those opening few minutes, and on occasions elsewhere in the game, we caught glimpses of the potential of this squad. Much depends on how many of the current crop of players Alex Rae can keep, as I'm sure there'll be a number of players attracting interest elsewhere from clubs who have been monitoring the progress Cov continues to make.

It's been an impressive run of form, winning 7 of its last 9 games, losing just the once away to Pirates, beating table-topping Ealing away and drawing at home to second placed Jersey.

Heads are being turned and turned in the direction of the BPA at that. Cov players regularly feature these days in the 'Championship Team of the Week' and are also being nominated for the 'Player of the Month'. Indeed, Will Chudley won that accolade this month.

Cov are being talked about and with Premiership clubs and the equivalent always with an eye for a bargain, then who knows the impact that could have.

Josh Bainbridge and Louis Brown look to be on their way out if the rumours are true and when he signed for Cov, Tom Dodd seemed to indicate he wouldn't be staying beyond the end of April ('I’m incredibly grateful to Coventry for giving me an opportunity to continue pursuing rugby for the rest of this season').

That's three very good players we could be losing, with others presumably looking to see what options are open to them. And Coventry has never been a club to stand in the way of a player should they be given an opportunity of playing at a higher level and rightly so - but it is a worry.

The club is understandably keeping tight-lipped about the identities of players coming in next season, but it was said to me yesterday that any players coming in will be better than those they are replacing. A frightening prospect that.

Frightening to the opposition, that is.

Apologies, I digress.

As good as Cov were, Hartpury were still able to get themselves back in the game in the first half despite Coventry's runaway start. As has been the case in at least 3 of the last 4 games, Coventry's scrum was quickly found wanting and we once again conceded a number of penalties. Good opportunities from which to attack in their 22 were quickly turned into last ditch defence as Hartpury kicked deep into our territory. They didn't have much else to offer really, but when they did get into our 22 they came away with the points.

Changes to the front row early in the second half saw us bring a little stability back into the scrums, although we were still under immense pressure, so much so that Trinder was sent to the sin bin with 4 minutes left on the clock.

Oddly, that worked in our favour as the only scrum after that resulted in a 'no contest' affair. At one point in the second half, we again opted for a retake of the lineout when a throw was deemed to be not straight, always indicative of concerns over the scrum, even on our own put in.

For once our line out, which has been such a strength all season, wobbled a little and we butchered a couple of golden opportunities close to their line. Fortunately, Coventry's all round game is good enough at the moment to more than compensate for problems around the set piece against most sides in the Championship, but it is an area that will need strengthening over the summer if we are to continue to push for a top two finish or better next season.

'Top two finish or better next season' - not a phrase I would have thought I'd be uttering a few months ago.

This is a really most extraordinary season in so many respects. It gives the Chairman a bit of a headache I imagine - finish third this season, possibly second if results were to go our way, and what do you do?

Look just to maintain the status quo and strengthen the squad accordingly as it's too soon for any genuine attempt on promotion or, if we can achieve a 2nd or 3rd place finish on a fairly tight budget, should we push the boat out a little further without being extravagant?

Tough call either way.

Aside from the problems at the set piece, yesterday's performance was hugely encouraging. Defensively we continue to look pretty solid and in the second half Hartpury really didn't threaten us at all, other than when they scored three minutes from the final whistle. You can see why they are fifth, but against a team that is up so quickly, hold its line and rarely miss a tackle these days, Hartpury didn't have many options.

Bainbridge again was outstanding and was the sponsors' MofM. For me, Peters and Tyas were immense yet again and their contributions this season cannot be overstated. Tyas has already put pen to paper for next season; I'm hoping that Peters will do likewise as his experience would be greatly missed.

I've heard it said that there are a couple of big locks on the way in which would make sense, but Tyas and Peters would have a role to play even if they weren't necessarily in the starting XV every week - and Peters in particular can play in the backrow, as Tyas did for several seasons. We've relied heavily on them since September - had one of them been injured at any point, there weren't always options available with both Thomas and Smith unavailable on occasions. We've been lucky in that respect, although injuries to the front row have balanced that out somewhat.

Another player who has impressed, one of many it has to be said, is Evan Mitchell. He does the basics really well and whilst he's not as creative or attacking at 10 as Pat Pellegrini is, he is growing in confidence with every game. Whereas I was a little concerned pre-season that we lacked experience at this level at fly half, neither he or PP have looked out of place. See Mitchell's name on the team sheet now and there's not even a second look. And of the two, Mitchell is probably the better dead ball kicker, yesterday successful with all 6 of Cov's tries - and, as likely as not, that is going to be the difference between a win and a loss a couple of times in a season.

the pathway in front of the main stand was under water for the duration of the game

It had rained virtually all day, only stopping a few minutes before kick off. One of the benefits of the artificial surface is that it drains so well (although remember the problems early on in that first season with surface water?).

I couldn't help harking back to the days of the old grass pitches both at the BPA and Coundon Road. It's doubtful the game would have even started, but if it had then it would have been a total mud bath.

Fair play to the Board for taking the decision to go with an artificial pitch and for the Chairman for his personal contribution towards it (I think),

The surrounding walkways might have been under water but the pitch showed no sign of all the rain we've had in recent days

It was definitely the right decision and maybe it's one of the reasons why both Alex Rae and Rowland Winter have been able to plan for such an expansive, high tempo game. I'm not sure either's approach to the game would really have worked at this level on grass...??? I certainly have enjoyed watching rugby played on an artificial surface far more than I have when I've been at grounds where there's a grass pitch, however good it might look.

I'm not a great fan of Friday evening games. I'm a bit old school in that respect. Saturday afternoon will always get my vote, although I do appreciate work commitments, other sporting ties, family commitments and so on can all make Saturday problematic.

The attendance of 2009 was decent enough, but with students being enticed in for a tenner, it perhaps was inflated a little. Still, there was a a good atmosphere and although the main stand had plenty of empty seats come 7.45 pm, the railway end and standing area opposite were both busier than one might have expected given the weather.

John Coles' photo bears witness to the number of empty seats in the main stand, even as far as the third block in

Varying the day does widen your potential audience, so I can quite understand why Coventry do occasional opt for a Friday evening. It does also create logistical problems for the opposition - traveling cross-country during Friday rush hour isn't always the easiest thing to do and perhaps that in itself can cause visiting teams to be a little more unsettled pre-kickoff.

If a club can gain even a small advantage by doing so then why not, provided it's legitimate, of course?

Another win, another bonus point and almost as importantly, another very encouraging performance from a Coventry side that has got better and better the longer the season has gone on.

The best it's ever been?

The best I've ever seen?

No, not that good, but there's every hope that with this squad and with these coaches it could yet be the best we've seen for a couple of generations.

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