Blackheath hit for six as Cov edge closer in league table
SIX-TRY Coventry continued their unbeaten start to the second half of the season with an ultimately comprehensive win over a Blackheath side reduced to 14 men shortly after the halfhour.
Cov were leading an abrasive encounter 10-3 when Gregor Gillanders saw red for a punch, and after that there was only going to be one outcome, with the home side taking full control up front and drawing a succession of scrum penalties.
Blackheath, who began the day in third place in the table, were still in the game at half-time, trailing 15-3, but they were rarely seen as an attacking force after the break as Cov eased clear to the delight of director of rugby Rowland Winter.
“It was a huge performance,” he said. “We talked a lot in the week about how Blackheath embarrassed us when we went to their place in September and we didn’t do ourselves justice, so today was going to be a measure of how far we’ve come on and developed as a team.
“It was all about the attitude of the boys and they didn’t need any motivation.
“To nil them, in terms of tries, shows our development in defence and this was a big statement.
“We want to get into the top group in the table and today’s a good start. It was a calm, controlled performance and we didn’t let them play.”
A relatively even first quarter ended with Darrel Dyer going over from a lineout to put Cov in front, Tony Fenner converting.
Leo Fielding, who had hit an upright with an earCov lier attempt, responded with a penalty on 21 minutes for Blackheath, but Fenner replied in kind before the visitors first went down to 14 men when Tom Baldwin was sinbinned for an illegal tackle, and then 13 when Gillanders was sent off.
lost Tom Poole to the sin bin in the same incident, but quickly turned the screw on their visitors with a second try from a lineout drive, Scott Tolmie touching down to complete the scoring in a fractious first half which saw Blackheath concede 12 penalties.
Tries from Owain James, capitalising on a defensive error, and Josh Peters on his home debut secured Cov’s try bonus point in the third quarter before referee Jamie Leahy awarded a penalty try, converted by Will Maisey, with the Blackheath scrum in trouble. A yellow card for Kieron Scott left Blackheath to finish the game with 13 men, and Cov signed off with a Tom Jubb try from another lineout, Maisey landing a fine angled conversion.
Blackheath’s director of rugby Colin Ridgeway conceded it had been a bad day at the office.
“With 14 men we were always going to be up against it,” he said.
“I thought it was a poor performance by the man in the middle, but that said, we didn’t help ourselves.
“Before the sending off, defensively we were holding out strongly, competing actively in the breakdown areas and our set piece was functioning fine.
“We’re not a bad team over night, the fundamentals are there. It just wasn’t our day today.”