Cov make statement as scrum dominates

COVENTRY produced a resilient and clinical performance in battling tough conditions and a spirited home side to secure a hugely impressive victory at Caldy.

- By ALEX DIDLICK

With the sides sitting next to each other in the Champ Rugby table, this felt like a pivotal fixture in the early playoff picture - and it delivered in full before tries from Morgan Strong, Senitki Nayalo, Josh Thomas, Daffyd Rhys-Tiueti and Ewan Baker sealed victory for the visitors.

This was a statement win from Coventry - resilient under pressure, ruthless when opportunities arose, and dominant where it mattered most. The scrum laid the foundations, the forwards carried with authority, and the backs supported with confidence and clarity.

Battling a stiff breeze, Coventry applied early pressure but the hosts began to find their feet and soon earned a scrum five metres out. From the resulting phase, Michael Barlow took advantage of a momentary lapse in Coventry's defensive line to crash over, Kieran Wilkinson converting for a 7-0 lead.

Coventry responded swiftly. Recovering the restart for the second successive time, they carried with real intent through the forwards, forcing their way down to the Caldy line. Strong finished the work under the posts, Thomas booting the conversion to restore parity.

The game ebbed and flowed. Caldy again threatened inside the Coventry five-metre area after a suspected high tackle, but disciplined red-zone defence forced them backwards. The referee eventually deemed the pressure offside, awarding Caldy a simple penalty for Wilkinson to edge 10-7 ahead.