Coventry Rugby 10 Northampton Saints 19 - Cov beginning to look the real deal as Saints pushed all the way

If you wake up and don't wanna smile

If it takes just a little while

Open your eyes and look at the day

You'll see things in a different way

Why not think about times to come

And not about the things that you've done?

If your life was bad to you

Just think what tomorrow will do

Don't stop thinking about tomorrow

Don't stop, it'll soon be here

Don't Stop - Fleetwood Mac

Although the loss yesterday was disappointing, there was little else to be disheartened about on a day when Cov demonstrated that the gap between the top of the Championship and the Premiership is steadily narrowing.

Slowly for sure, but closing nevertheless.

Some individuals, observing from their ivory towers, are still all too quick to argue that teams like Coventry and Ealing wouldn't currently be anywhere near a match even for the clubs struggling at the lower end of the Premiership.

And they probably have a case to make; would Cov be competitive enough at that level with this current squad?

However, they entirely overlook the main issue—if, in theory, Cov were to win the league and overcome all the obstacles put in place by the RFU to stop any Championship team from being promoted, the squad next season would be vastly different from this current one.

Theirs is an argument that is as spurious as it is facile.

Any conversation about a Championship club's potential to thrive in the Premiership should focus on the effectiveness of the club's existing structures, including aspects like coaching, marketing, long-term planning, and future financing. This is precisely why I think Cov is progressing in the right direction.

Both on and off the field, the coaching setup is allowing players to enhance their skills to new heights and, as demonstrated yesterday, compete successfully against some of the nation's top young talent. With the financial boost that joining the premiership would provide, even if it's considerably less than what the established teams receive, I am confident that Cov would be competitive, even in their first season.

The club's coaching framework has consistently demonstrated over two and a half seasons that it has the potential to succeed at the next level. Recruitment has been outstanding despite a very limited budget, and on the field, the team has improved in all aspects of the game, supported by what seems to be a highly competent analysis team and an effective conditioning setup.

Further, the Board's long-term strategy seems to focus on enabling the club to generate its own revenue through ground development, rather than depending on a single donor or group. With support from the local council and interest from investors, this approach also appears very encouraging.

Currently, the focus is on demonstrating the club's authenticity, and in my view, Cov is starting to show itself to be the real deal, a club establishing strong foundations to support its Premiership aspirations.

Against Saints yesterday, the club demonstrated it has the ability to host a Premiership club and in the process attract a crowd of 5000 plus. And on the rugby front, it caused the visitors enough problems on the pitch to make the game far closer than anyone expected, other than the Coventry faithful, of course.

Yes, we lost wit, the Saints in the end deserving of their victory, the power and speed they brought from the bench proving decisive. However, we prevented them from getting the bonus point, led going into the final quarter, and could have secured a bonus point had we chosen to take a couple of straightforward penalty attempts instead of quick taps.

Cov gave Saints exactly the challenge they were hoping for, as they did us. We caused them numerous problems at times, particularly in the first half. Both teams had moments of luck, but as the referee blew the final whistle, I felt immense pride, not only in the players but in everything the club stands for.

More importantly, going into the next round of Championship games, Cov are arguably in an even stronger place than they were when they started the run of Cup games. This next set of 5 fixtures is certainly tougher on paper than the first 5, with games away to Pirates and home to Ealing, but given their recent performances against both Leicester and Saints, Cov should fear no one in this league now.

Ealing are probably still favourites for the top spot in most people's eyes but they have shown themselves to be vulnerable at times, whilst Cov have stood toe-to-toe with Leicester and a strong Saints side, one packed full of future (and current stars) of the game, and done more than enough to suggest that the race for the Championship is going to be a lot closer than it has been for many a season.

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Perhaps what stood out most for me was not the game itself, but the scenes after the final whistle had blown. Whilst Saints were quick to return to their changing room, the Coventry players were swamped by youngsters looking for a photo opportunity with their favourite player, or an autograph for their shirt or just the chance to stand amongst their heroes.

Watching from the stands, with over 60 years of supporting Cov behind me, I couldn't help but reminisce about the golden days of the late 60s and early 70s, or even the mid-90s during the Eves' era. It seems like Cov has made a significant turn, and the upcoming chapter of the club's journey is filled with hope and promise. It was wonderful to witness and made me proud to be part of the remarkable story that is Coventry Rugby.

Cov had prepared for the anticipated record crowd with additional food and drink outlets around the ground, and there certainly seemed a good uptake - although at £9 for The Hog (see photo), it's not a cheap way to eat. In fairness, it went down well with Josh (my grandson), although my Tesco Meal deal at just £3.60 was a better option for me - it just means I have to eat it in the car park rather than in the ground.

The new merchandise available in the club shop was proving very popular too, with people queuing up to pay from the moment the shop opened. Whilst I'm not a great fan of the training kit, the new hat, gloves and scarf combo is a winner and I even splashed out on the blanket. I'm not altogether sure if I'll actually bring it to a game, but I do love the gold logo against the dark blue of the material, it's looks stunning.

These, together with an away shirt (an ideal Christmas present for an unsuspecting relative) meant I splashed the cash to the tune of £120ish (I did get a membership discount). Whilst that might be excessive, judging by the numbers of sales being made, it must have been a very profitable afternoon for the club all round.

The newly installed padded advertising hoardings are an interesting addition, intended to offer some protection to players who occasionally collide with them. I haven't been aware of any previous injuries from impacts with the boards, but anything that enhances player safety is undoubtedly beneficial. I wonder if this was included in the original charge to the advertiser or if it was done subsequently at a cost to the club; either way, it demonstrates the club's forward-thinking approach.

While Leicester Tigers might have electronic boards around most of their ground, this seems to provide players with greater protection, which should be the primary concern rather than the revenue generated from advertising.

The atmosphere just before kick-off was special. After weeks of anticipation, we finally arrived at the moment, hoping to perform well but with a lingering doubt about being overpowered in the last 20 minutes. The spine-tingling reception for Cov as they left the pitch after the final warm-up likely gave the players an extra boost, although it probably wasn't necessary.

From the opening whistle, Cov's high-energy, attacking, full-throttle strategy clearly unsettled Saints somewhat, and for much of the first 40 minutes, we controlled the ball, if not the game. The weather made slick handling extremely challenging, and both teams committed handling errors at times. However, when we did lose possession, our ability to challenge Saints at the breakdown impressed me, as we managed to turn them over several times in both halves. Kvesic and Hinkley were outstanding throughout the game, demonstrating the value of having some experience within what is still quite an inexperienced group of players.

We must have had half a dozen entries into Saints' red zone in that first half but other than Kvesic's try, Saints defence held firm, a feature of their play throughout the game. We struggled to break them down, not helped by a couple of wayward lineouts in very attacking positions.

Their opening try perhaps was a little fortuitous, although brilliantly finished by their 15. It's not been mentioned elsewhere, but as I recall it all came from a Cov attack in and around their 22m line. Josh Barton looked to pass to his right but quickly changed direction to the left, too quick for the referee to avoid. The ref had no option but to call a scrum, not a great call for Cov given the pressure the pack were under at the set piece. Cov were shunted backwards and the uncertainty that caused led directly to the loss of possession and the Saints' break away try. It was tough on Cov.

That Cov were able to dig deep and claw their way back into the lead was really impressive, but the decision not to take a couple of easy 3-pointers arguably cost us the bonus point, although a quick tap led directly to Kvesic's try, too. How costly that one point might yet prove to be in the final reckoning remains to be seen.

(As an aside, I thought Kvesic had a blinder at the base of the scrum, taking quick ball when our scrum was retreating and which, had he not done so, would inevitably led to a number of penalties).

Injuries to Nairau (on 2 minutes!) and Nkwacha (29) didn't help the cause and Hutler looked to be limping when he came off (62). Obi's absence following a knock to the head, meant that Tyas got an extended run out and he added plenty to the pack. Of the three, Nairau's looked the most serious, being unable to weight bear on what looked to be an injury to an ankle. He was obviously in some discomfort. Having Will Lane in the match day squad means that injuries across the backs aren't quite the problem that they might otherwise be, even with a 6-2 split on the bench. Lane was able to play at full back leaving Martin free to go out wide on the right.

After half time, Saints took control in the forwards with an entirely new front row (all first team starters) and their lineouts and driving mauls meant we were far more on the back foot than we had been in the first half, although we still had opportunities of our own too. In the closing minutes, Cov had to work hard not to concede a 4th try and keeping Saints down to just a 4-point win was in itself a victory in the end.

In what were really tricky conditions for the kickers, I thought Tommy Mathews dead ball kicking was really impressive, finding distances that were certainly on a par with those of Liam Richman and better than those of his Saints oppo. The backs worked hard, especially defensively, but struggled to break the Saints' line in attack. David Opoku had another very impressive outing and over these Cup games he's given himself every chance of a place in the starting XV when the Championship resumes next weekend. He looks a threat with ball in hand and over the course of the last few games has made some important last-ditch tackles and turnovers - he's fast becoming an important member of the match day squad.

Ultimately, Saints emerged as deserved winners, yet I'm confident the coaches will glean numerous positives from the game, making the entire 80 minutes plus experience equally valuable for us in the long term. There's been plenty of social media chatter post-game, as you'd expect given the high-profile nature of the game (if you're a Cov fan that is), and for once there's not a negative word been said.

Days like yesterday will occur more often as the challenges we face become more difficult, but if we confront them directly in the same way, this team will keep growing, as will the number of supporters who follow it.

If you wake up and don't wanna smile

If it takes just a little while

Open your eyes and look at the day

You'll see things in a different wa

Up the Cov!

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