Keep it quiet but Pellegrini has a lot to shout about

INSPIRED by an outstanding display from hat-trick hero Pat Pellegrini, Coventry rattled in eight tries while claiming a memorable bonus point success over Doncaster.

The hosts scored 34 unanswered points in a scintillating second half against a shellshocked Knights side that lost 50 per cent of their lineouts and conceded 15 penalties.

Cov head coach Alex Rea was left purring with delight – and hoping any Premiership scouts will be distracted by the sponsors’ unexpected choice of workhorse flanker Tom Dodd as player of the match. “Pat scored 22 points and has a real X-factor about him but I don’t want to talk about him too much,” he laughed. “I was really glad when they gave Tom Dodd man of the match as it might keep Pat out of the headlines.

“He was playing a few leagues down in National Three and I don’t think many people had heard of him when we signed him. His game management has really improved but he is not the finished product and the exciting thing is how much more there is to come.”

A Pellegrini penalty put the home side ahead, but it was not until the second quarter that centre Will Rigg was sent over for their first try.

The home side’s Australian No. 10 then skipped over for his first touchdown but despite Maliq Holden missing an ‘open goal’ Doncaster were very much in touch at the break after their pack drove flanker Sam Daly over for a try.

Cov claimed a crucial score soon after the restart through outstanding full back Louis Brown but the floodgates really opened after visiting centre Connor Edwards was yellow-carded for a deliberate knock-on.

Pellegrini skipped through a gap and raced 40m to bank the bonus point before a fine finish from winger Will Talbot-Davies pushed Cov out of sight.

And as the wheels really came off a dispirited Doncaster, the Blue-and-Whites cashed in by claiming three more tries in the closing stages.

Inevitably the brilliant Pellegrini was at the heart of the action, completing his three-timer then going close to a fourth before offloading to Will Lane. And there was time for Jimmy Martin to race 60m for Cov’s eighth try.