By Nick.M
October 31 2022

Seven matches played in the league. Five wins so far. Third place in the league. A third of the 'real' season gone.

Third place eh? Who would have predicted that back in the long, hot, summer days, when experience was departing, and younger, less experienced players were trickling in to get the squad up to minimum realistic strength?

Now of course there is no guarantee that we'll maintain that position until the end of the season, but let's start by celebrating that position, and by congratulating those players and staff that have made such a grand start to the season.

Yes, we have beaten three of the bottom four teams in the division - but two of those wins have been away, on the heavy pitches of the Richmond Athletics Ground and Paton Field, the type of banana-skin matches we have lost so often in previous seasons. John Butler's recent comment about our record against London Scottish was very telling.

Perhaps more significanis who we've lost to - or more importantly who we haven't. Our two losses so far have been to the league leaders, and expected favourites for promotion Ealing Trailfinders, and the currently second placed, and much improved team this season, Jersey Reds. No disgrace in being immediately below the two teams with their 100%, 7 from 7 results.

When I wrote of the significance of who we haven't lost to, what I mean is the middling pack. The opening night's win against Bedford Blues, and the more recent one against Cornish Pirates are significant as being against teams reckoned to be of our approximate level. Yes, they were both at the BPA, but they were both wins.

It still feels to me though that at approximately a third of the season we haven't played many matches against that middle group of the division, and particularly haven't ayed them away.

This is where the much-disparaged and unloved Championship Cup comes in.

First of all, credit where it's due. The cup structure is much better organised this season, with the group stages split into separate blocks, rather than being stacked up after the league season and before the ayoffs. Secondly having twelve clubs involved there's none of the absurdity of giving the leading club in the league a free pass.

Now, to Coventry's group stagein the cup. We face, in successive matches Doncaster Knights (away), Bedford Blues (away), and then London Scottish (BPA). The first two of those matches will be difficult games. away, against two of those middle-group teams Ientioned above. Both will be real markers of how the Cov team is progressing, and against very different teams.

Doncaster, an aggressive forward-driven team in front of an aggressive (albeit not very large) South Yorkshire crowd at their excellent Castle Park ground. Bedford a much more mobile backs-focussed team, in front of a large crowd at their sloping old-fashioned ground Gdington Road.

These are the sort of matches we would need to win to consolidate our league positio, were they league games. But, they're not. They're cup games with all that may mean. Will our opponents put out as serious teams as they would in the league? Will Bedford use (or be allowed to use) their full contingent of Premiership Academy loanees? Will Coventry play out of their skins like they did in the cup last season? 

We'll obviously have to wait and see to find out. What will happen, whatever the results, is that we'll start to get a view of how Coventry should perform in the middle, winter, third of the season.

The Update - a break for the cup.

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 01/11/2022 10:40

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
01/11/2022 10:40

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:11:14:13:42:43 by Kimbo.

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diverkevod
01/11/2022 21:34

Agreed! What I particularly like about the team is that the backs are more threatening than in previous seasons, with speed, penetration and some great passing out of hand, and we've seen some excellent running from them, so I feel this is potentially a better all round team than previous squads. OK we are missing a few GNARLY forwards, but the young guys up front are making a great effort, and gaining a lot of experience. I hope the rest of the season is as entertaining. I'm sure there will downs as well as ups but progress is being made in the right direction. Credit to all involved...

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