COVENTRY produced a performance which certainly should have ensured they came out of this game with something but which ultimately saw them travel home empty handed.
Forced into a late change with Alex Nash dropping out having felt ill just before the warm up, there was much to commend in the performance, two pretty evenly matched sides, with the Cov forwards and backs all having their moments.
The downside, which ultimately proved vital was the penalty count against, three Blackheath tries resulting from driving mauls from line outs after penalties had been kicked into attacking positions by the hosts.
It will have been of little comfort to the Cov players that locals commented post match the game had been one of the most attractive, hard-fought encounters they had witnessed in a while. The match could have gone either way but ultimately even the lack of any bonus point was a real disappointment.
On the positive side, the forwards again produced an excellent performance in the set scrums with Blackheath often firmly on the retreat, line outs were generally even, where ‘’ Club’’ did score was with their aggressive rucking, particularly around the tackle area.
Behind, the backs, while overdoing the kicking a little at times all had their moments and produced probably some of their best attacking movements of the season, although particularly late on with the game being chased, some of this was attempted from far too deep.
Rugby director Phil Maynard was fairly phlegmatic in his post match thoughts and comments. He said: “There was certainly no general lack of effort and we did produce some good running rugby but at times we gave away far too many penalties in critical areas, allowing the opposition the opportunity to punish us in their driving play.
“Once again we were dominant in the set scrums and I thought Blackheath were allowed several times to get away with infringements and to escape unpunished.’’
Such was the closeness of the match, no more than nine points ever separated the two sides. At the end of a very close first half, Cov lead 15-14.
A splendidly angled pass from Elliott Read set Heath Stevens up for try number one, converted by Luke Myring, before Blackheath replied with two almost identical tries.
Prop Brett and flanker Allen both crossed from driving mauls after Cov had initially given away penalties, full back Armstrong converting both.
A fine Ben Russell outside break sent Mark O’Connor over wide out on 23 minutes, Myring’s conversion failing, before O’Connor edged Cov in front in injury time with a well struck penalty after the home flanker Dewale had been spoken to. Within five minutes of the restart Blackheath were 24-15 ahead.
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