By John Wilkinson, Coventry Telegraph
February 11 2010

LACKLUSTRE Coventry came up short in a disappointing Championship defeat by relegation rivals Doncaster at the Butts Park Arena last night. Cov enjoyed plenty of possession, particularly in the second half, but lacked the know-how or flair to break down a Doncaster defence that gave nothing away. Tries by centres Bevan Armitage and Hudson Tonga’uiha steered the visitors into a 20-7 lead at half-time, and with Cov’s attempts to claw back the deficit increasingly ineffective, the only addition came close to full time when the home side gifted Doncaster a third try.

It leaves Cov, who now face five successive league and cup games away from home, with plenty to ponder before the start of the relegation play-offs next month.

Cov fell behind inside three minutes, conceding a penalty wide out on the right which Steve McColl put over, and a catalogue of errors starting inside the Doncaster half and ending in an offside position in the shadow of their own posts saw the home side gift three more points to the boot of James Brooks.

Cov opted to go for touch when Doncaster conceded a penalty at a ruck 40 metres out, and the decision paid off when the visitors infringed again as the home forwards drove on from the line-out with Ollie Frost taking a quick tap and darting over for a try which Ben Russell converted.

Doncaster’s backs, orchestrated by fly-half Brooks, were a constant threat with the ball in hand and two clear scoring chances went begging before the No.10 sent centre Bevan Armitage through to the posts for a try which Brooks converted for a 13-7 lead.

And Cov fell further behind on the run to half-time – centre Hudson Tonga’uiha diving over from close range behind a ruck with McColl converting before pushing a long range penalty wide of the right post on the whistle.

Cov started the second half brightly but failed to capitalise on two penalties deep in Doncaster territory – the second leading to a yellow card for visiting scrum-half Chris Hallam.

A 42-metre penalty from Russell drifted wide of the left post as Cov continued to press for most of the third quarter but again without finding a way through a disciplined Doncaster defence.

The breakthrough almost came as the game entered the last ten minutes, but replacement winger Kurt Johnson was hauled down short of the line.

And Doncaster had the final say going into injury-time when Cov lost possession trying to attack from their own 22 and gave winger Andrew Wright a simple run-in to the posts, Brooks converting.

Coventry: try Frost (14); conversion Russell (14). Doncaster: tries Armitage (23), Tonga’uiha (35), Wright (80); conversions Brooks 2 (23, 80), McColl (35); penalties McColl (3), Brooks (11).

Coventry: Apikotoa; Frewin (Johnson 57), Mackenzie, C Lewis, Plantey; Russell, Frost (Walls 65); Dugard (Maddocks 48), McMillan (Dwyer 74), Hall (Roberts 69), Brenton (McGowan 78), Herrington, Carpenter (Pons h-t), Bignell, Shaw.

Doncaster: McColl; Wright, Armitage, Tonga’uiha, Flockhart; Brooks, Hallam (Griffiths 67); Corser, Lawrie (Boden b69), Tau (Cusack h-t), Griffiths, Townson, Kettle, Granger, Bundy (Cochrane 69).

Referee: A Taylorson (RFU).

Coventry 7 Doncaster 27

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 11/02/2010 16:30

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
11/02/2010 16:30

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