Carnegie fightback means Cov have to wing it

LED by two tries apiece from wingers Junior Bulumakau and Max Trimble, Coventry claimed a Pool 1 home win over Yorkshire Carnegie.

Carnegie also banked a try bonus-point from a thrilling game, which was locked at 32-32 with 11 minutes remaining before the hosts eased clear with three late scores.

Coventry head coach Nick Walshe acknowledged the contest was closer than seemed likely after his team led 25-10 at half-time.

“It was more nail biting than it should’ve been,” he said. “We seemed in control of the game at half time but then they came out and scored, it was a bit unlucky because Junior had to stop his hit on the winger as he was in the air.

“The boys were outstanding today – I think probably our best performance of the season, we had really good energy. To score 51 points against a real big Championship side was excellent.”

After Will Maisey kicked Cov into an early lead, the visitors claimed the first try through full-back Chris Elder. This was converted by on-loan Wasps fly-half Jacob Umaga, who also kicked a penalty, but thereafter Cov dominated the rest of the half, to claim three excellent tries.

The first was finished by the pacy Trimble following some slick handling, and converted by Maisey. And after Cov’s No.10 added a simple penalty, he converted Bulumakau’s score, in which hooker Scott Tolmie played a key role.

Home centre Rob Knox twisted over for their third score, before Carnegie struck back through centre Andy Forsyth at the start of the second half.

Cov’s replacement fullback Dan Lewis then added a fourth home try, before the visitors claimed 17 unanswered points through tries from Elder and Matt Smith to which Umaga added two conversions and a penalty.

At 32-32 with 11 minutes remaining it was anyone’s game until Cov’s flying wingers Bulumakau and Trimble grabbed a rapid try-double in as many minutes with two superb finishes.

Maisey upgraded the second of these, after which Lewis’s conversion of Tony Fenner’s late score took Cov past 50.

Carnegie director of rugby Chris Stirling was phlegmatic after his team failed to build on their opening round away win at Nottingham.

“We left ourselves a bit to do at half-time, but got back in the game and levelled it up so to still finish 20 points behind is disappointing,” he said.