Richmond 18 Coventry Rugby 22: Alex(ander)'s RAGtime Band march on...

Come on and hear, come on and hear Alexander's Ragtime Band Come on and hear, come on and hear It's the best band in the land They can play a bugle call

Like you never heard before

So natural that you want to go to war That's just the bestest band what am, Honey Lamb

Alexander's Ragtime Band - Irving Berlin

Richmond away.

And that means it's RAGtime.

And following a rather nervy win in the end, Alexander's Ragtime band do indeed march on.

Another away game, another win for a Cov side that is currently riding the crest of a wave - although on Saturday it almost suffered a wipe-out as Richmond took the game to the wire in a desperate bid to pick up some much needed points and put further distance between itself and London Scottish, who currently sit at the foot of the Championship table.

I didn't make it on Saturday, forced instead to follow the Club's much improved Twitter feed. From all that I've seen and read, it wasn't one of Coventry's best performances this season, but to win ugly when you're not at your best is always the sign of a good side, so that in itself is very much a positive to take from the game.

Five wins on the bounce now. As spectacles go, 'The Entertainer' it certainly wasn't (that's the last ragtime reference, promise), but the defeat of Richmond secured a third place finish in the Championship with two games still to go.

Some season this.

Cov have only scored fewer than 22 points on two occasions in the Championship this season, the loss against Ealing (in October) and the draw against Jersey (in January), both at home (they also scored 22 to beat Ealing in the away win back in January), so Richmond must take plenty of credit for almost producing what would have been one of the biggest upsets in the Championship for a good few weeks.

Embroiled in a bottom of the table relegation battle with London Scottish, Richmond had everything to play for and although Coventry must have been keen to ensure that third place finish themselves, the stakes were always going to be that much higher for the home side.

Alex Rae said as much in his post-match comments: 'Richmond were fighting for their lives and I expected nothing less of them...they weathered a few storms, hung in there and showed tremendous fight and spirit. They probably didn't get what they deserved from the game'.

Generous words from Alex Rae, something which characterises his post-match interviews. It's the mark of the man that he gives the opposition credit rather than highlight any perceived areas of weakness in his own team's performance and I've not heard him publicly make any reference to referees regarding any decisions going against Cov at all. With Cov winning regularly this season, and for the most part winning comfortably, I guess you wouldn't expect him to, but it is refreshing nonetheless.

Maybe when, and there will be a when at some point in his tenure, things don't go Cov's way we'll see a different AR - but he has always come across really well in the various clips and interviews I've seen over the course of the season.

Cov were forced into kicking only their eighth three-pointer of the season, and in the 79th minute of the game at that, a clear indication of just how tight things were. Cov have consistently shunned this option for much of the season, but needs must in situations like that. Certainly following it on Twitter was a rather uncomfortable experience, especially as the feed placed, somewhat unconventionally, the Coventry score first even though they were away from home, so it looked at first glance as if we were trailing Richmond.

A few times that caught me out, especially in those final moments.

But at least the feed was there and it's a pretty comprehensive one at that, more so than many other Championship sides. A big plus if you're stuck at home - so many thanks to whoever is responsible.

(Richmond v Cov - photo courtesy of John Coles)

Fair play to Richmond, too, they really needed to get something from the game given London Scottish achieved only their second win of the season on Saturday, beating Hartpury 12-22. With only four points now separating the two teams, and a points difference of just 4, it couldn't be much closer. I'm not sure how relegation is decided if wins/losses and points difference are all the same - any takers?

Bottom of the Championship table (from BBC website)

Whoever put together the fixture list for the current season deserves one heck of a pat on the back, with the top two and bottom two clubs both playing each other next weekend. Convincing wins for Ealing and Richmond would mean the promotion/relegation places would be decided with a game to go, but anything less and the final weekend of the season will make for some interesting games.

Just as an aside, I see that in yesterday's 'The Guardian', Robert Kitson was speculating on 'a last ditch bid' to prevent any team being relegated from the Championship this season, with the possibility of a 14 team league being created for the 2023/24 season. Apparently there's a meeting this Friday to debate this matter further. I'd be very surprised if any decision is reached then, though, given what's going on with the Wasps' debacle.

I do hope Coventry don't take their foot off the accelerator now that they got the guaranteed third place finish.

I'm not altogether sure anyone at the club is aware of this, but there is still much to play for.

Having looked through the final placings in the Championship over the last 11 season ( I was going to take in just 10 but miscounted!), if there was to be an award for the best third placed finish, then Cov are currently in line to win it.

So far Coventry have 78 points from 20 games, which gives them an average of 3.90 points per game, significantly ahead of any other team finishing in 3rd place since 2012.

Obviously two losses in their final two games and that would drop, but it is something to aim for and would confirm the belief amongst many supporters that Coventry is currently the 'best of the rest' behind the top two sides, Jersey and Ealing. And given many of us feel that Coventry are some way off fulfilling their potential, that's something to be really proud of.

The future of the Championship is looking more and more likely to be blue and white.

(I just had a flashback to Ealing's fecal coloured away kit...urgghhhh)

Season	Club	Games Played	Total Points (3rd place)	Average points per game
2022/23	Coventry	20*	78	3.90
2021/22	Cornish Pirates	20	73	3.65
2020/21	Doncaster Knights	10	36*	3.60
2019/20	Cornish Pirates	15	71	3.46
2018/19	Bedford Blues	22	69	3.13
2017/18	Bedford Blues	22	78	3.54
2016/17	Ealing Trailfinders	20	60	3.00
2015/16	Yorkshire Carnegie	22	78	3.54
2014/15	London Scottish	22	64	2.90
2013/14	Leeds Carnegie	23	84	3.65
2012/13	Bedford Blues	22	71	3.22

*Edited - thanks, Paul

Jersey have run Ealing close and might yet pip them to the title, so there's no way we can claim to be a top two side just yet, but I've seen every side at least once this season and I really do genuinely believe we have a stronger squad/coaching set up outside of the two run away leaders. Second season syndrome awaits - I'm not sure that's a thing but I trust you know what I'm getting at. The loss of some key players will mean recruitment will once again be key to our success, but AR and his team have been really canny thus far so you have to think positively. There's always the prospect of one or two of the top six teams having more funds at their disposal next season, but even then that's not always a guarantee of a successful campaign.

Nottingham at home are certainly eminently beatable and with little to play for themselves, we should be able to see them off. Should, I hasten to add - you write off any team's chances in this league at your peril, but if things go true to form...

Bedford away the week after is an entirely different proposition and there aren't many tougher finishes to a season than this. You never quite know what to expect from The Blues and although Cov often have come away from Goldington Road with little to show for their efforts, there have been some barnstorming encounters in recent years (I still break out in a cold sweat when I think of the 53-52 loss down there back in 2019).

Last game of the season, and looking very much like they'll have secured a fourth place finish themselves by then, and in front of what is going to be a very large and well-oiled crowd, Bedford will be out to entertain and provide their loyal supporters with the perfect end to the season.

Nothing would give me more pleasure than for Cov to play the role of party poopers. There's a score or two to settle away from home against them as well as that possible 88 point total for the season achievable.

It's a stonking way to end the season - a home game would have been preferable obviously, but other than perhaps a weekend in Jersey at this time of year, it's the next best thing. Proper fans in a traditional rugby setting. And it looks like the Supporters' Club will be taking two coaches down to Bedford, so at least Cov supporters will be able to make themselves heard - although that's seldom a problem to be fair.

Cov will want to finish on a high for sure, and they'll be a number of players who'll be putting on the famous Cov shirt for the very last time, so I reckon the one thing it won't be is a low scoring, forward dominated game.

Rich Lane v Louis Brown is worth the entrance fee alone. One Premiership full back on loan in the Championship, one Championship full back about to move to the Premiership - both attacking and both crowd pleasers. Can't wait. Rich Lane is class - and a constant thorn in games against Cov - indeed, it was Lane who scored the winner in the dying seconds of that 2019 encounter - put through by Jake Sharp, of course. Who else!

Brown to return the favour, perhaps.? Now that would be something special.

But first Nottingham. Let's hope that there's a big home crowd to support Cov and celebrate what has been such a successful season, the more so because it wasn't really expected, at least not by me, anyway.

I should imagine this weekend will see a total attendance bigger than anything the Championship has seen either this season or indeed for few seasons beforehand, too. Jersey Reds v Ealing Trailfinders at the top, London Scottish v Richmond at the bottom, both should attract bumper crowds and then there's the small matter of Ampthill v Bedford as well, a game which in the past has attracted an attendance of in excess of 5000 (in 2019). Cov should have close to 2500 watching if not more, so the numbers really will add up to something special.

Not that the RFU would ever acknowledge that, of course.

---

Apologies to Alex Rae for this one - hopefully he won't get to see this post, but it was just too good an opportunity to waste. The ragtime theme had come to me by chance a while back when I happened to listen to some Scott Joplin recordings whilst out on a walk and I decided there and then, whatever the outcome, I was going to build it into the title of the Richmond post.

I'm not proud of myself, but that said....

It's still one of my better ones...which isn't difficult, to be fair.

Not sure Ethel Merman and Coventry Rugby have ever been linked together before, but then this has been a season unlike any other...

Come on, Cov...