Dominant pack keeps Cov pushing forward

COVENTRY produced a dominant first-half display built on forward power and set-piece authority before seeing out another important bonus-point victory at Cambridge.

- By ALEX DIDLICK

Jordon Poole

Two early tries from Jordon Poole followed by scores from Morgan Strong and David Opoku-Fordjour just before halftime pushed Cov 28-7 ahead in the Boxing Day contest and an Allan Ferrie try early in the second period settled matters, despite conceding two late scores.

Coventry were handed an early opportunity after a poor kick to touch from the hosts, and there were promising signs immediately from the visitors. Tom Bacon was a standout early on, slicing down the left-hand touchline with a spirited run, though Coventry were unable to convert that pressure into points.

Early scrum dominance soon provided the platform Coventry were looking for. A penalty earned from the set-piece allowed them to kick to the corner, and from the resulting lineout maul it was Plan A executed to perfection. Captain Poole was on hand to finish the drive, forcing his way over against the stiff breeze to give Coventry the lead. Josh Thomas landed the conversion for 7-0.