Second half embarrassed us – Winter

COVENTRY director of rugby Rowland Winter admitted his players were embarrassed by their second half showing in Friday’s eight-try 55-19 mauling by Championship leaders Ealing Trailfinders.

The sides were locked at 12-12 at the interval before the visitors cut loose when they ran in six of their tries, four of them coming in a frenetic spell at the start of the half.

Winter said: “We have a good squad and a good group of people. They are hurting inside, they’re embarrassed and ashamed of that second 40 minutes. The few purple patches here and there in the second half aren’t good enough for where we want to be and we have to put in that 80-minute performance next week.

“We’ll take a lot from that. It was a hammering and we have to front up next week. We must take the positives from the first half.”

After a nightmare opening when Ealing skipper Rayn Smid scored a try inside 30 seconds, Cov went on to dominate the first half and were rewarded when Rob Stevenson dotted down in the corner and hooker Nic Dolly bagged his third try in as many games.

The visitors levelled on the stroke of half-time through replacement prop Will Davis after having lock Bobby de Wee sin binned and proceeded to run riot in the second period with further scores from Smid, Davis, Fraser Strachan, James Cordy-reddan and two from Simon Uzokwe. Cameron Jones responded for Cov who had full-back Louis Brown yellow carded in the final minute.

Winter added: “That first 40 minutes was our best 40 minutes of the season, I thought we were in control and took the game to them. We looked good for it but you have to back that up and in those first ten minutes of the second half Ealing showed their class.”