Coventry clinch win but it’s far from pretty

TRIES from three-quarters Andy Bulumakau and Heath Stevens plus ten points from fly-half Dan Lewis led Coventry to a hard-earned home win over Richmond.

But after building a 13point wind-assisted advantage shortly before the break, the hosts were forced to dig very deep during a second half in which visiting full-back Rob Kirby added three penalties to Luc Jones’ earlier converted try.

Coventry’s seventh win in nine Butts Park Arena league games was however a messy affair as director of rugby Rowland Winter acknowledged.

“The game was really scrappy, it never really got going,” he said. “We talked all week about trying to get to the fourth or fifth phase since we’d then probably find gaps in their armour.

“We didn’t do our bit towards that, but credit to Richmond who put pressure on the breakdown and had a set piece that really disrupted the game and made it stop-start. That then became a tempo they could hold on to and claw a point from.”

Coventry took an early lead when former Doncaster winger Bulumakau provided an athletic finish to a fluent attack. Lewis, who added the extras with a fine kick, then also tagged on a penalty when the visitors were caught offside.

But thereafter, despite dominating territorially, the home side were frustrated by determined Richmond defence and their inability to generate enough quick possession.

Centre Rob Knox went closest to delivering a second score, only for his powerful 50-metre break to be ended by a brilliant Jones cover tackle.

Lewis’ second penalty extended Cov’s advantage shortly before half-time, but enough time remained for the Londoners to convert their first visit to the home 22 into seven points when Will Warden combined with Jones for a try which Kirby improved.

Cov struck next through skipper Stevens, who reacted fastest when on-loan Northampton winger Tom Emery was held five metres out following a blistering break.

After Lewis kicked a superb conversion, Richmond chipped away at their hosts’ advantage through Kirby’s three longdistance penalties, but this was as close as they got.

“I’m really proud of the effort from the guys,” director of rugby Steve Hill said. “Lots of clubs have come to Coventry and really struggled to get anything.

“In the first half we played well into a strong wind and after that we played in the right parts of the field.”