By Paul Bristow
March 14 2005

There is a view, held by some very rich men, that National League One is a gathering for the failed or the unambitious. An oxbow lake of same famous old names and over-promoted newcomers, far away from their own private party – a league Leicester are running away with (but may not actually be allowed to win) and where panic at the bottom sits oddly with the ability of relegation haunted clubs to sign up big names like they are going out of fashion.

This weekend, National League One gave the lie to this self-serving view, and no more forcefully than at the Butts Park Arena where Coventry entertained promotion chasing Bristol. This was a big match for both sides. Coventry, having started the season abysmally, were looking to prove their credentials by talking the scalp of one of the League’s leaders and extending their eight match unbeaten run. Bristol could not afford to lose if they were to sustain the dream of a return to the top flight. The visiting fans had one eye on events at Orrell and Otley, where Bristol’s rivals for the championship were similarly seeking to maintain their promotion push. English rugby’s second tier geared itself up for the start of a monumental end to the season.

Though out of the race for the title, Coventry are no mere bit players in this grand drama. Their new ground is a fitting home for a great club and a focus for a proud and vibrant rugby community. In the future, they too harbour hopes of a return to the top. Ambition, and the investment that can turn it into reality, runs through this division. The game as a whole is stronger for that.

It was Bristol who started more brightly and struck first. Jason Strange banging over a penalty after 7 minutes. Despite missing another attempt, he added another before quarter of an hour was up to give his side a 0-6 lead. Bristol continued to press, but a loose pass put them under serious pressure and allowed Hendry Rheeders to score an interception try, converted by Richard Davies. Things got worse when Cov’s scrum half Shaun Perry, a handful all day, broke from a scrum and scored a try that was again converted. A Strange penalty narrowed the gap to 14-9, but not until injury time did Bristol register their first try. From a good position on the right, the ball was quickly moved wide, and Sean Marsden plunged over. Strange missed the conversion to leave it 14 all at the break.

Bristol came out looking a little shaky in the second half. Despite having selected ball carriers in Brownrigg and Pearce in the second row, complementing El-Abd, Salter and Martin-Redman in the back, Richard Hill may well have been disappointed to see that it was Coventry’s Farani and Olver who were most prominent with the ball in hand. Strange did push Bristol into the lead with another penalty, but Coventry were not going to lie down. Indeed, they appeared to have scored from a free kick, but referee Beddow, having initially appeared to award the score, disallowed it, much to the chagrin of Cov’s players and fans.

From here, Bristol came increasingly to dominate play. The previously missing runners began to appear and were breaking the Coventry gainline more regularly. Marsden’s second try came as Bristol did what they do best – use big men to break the line, then move the ball wide quickly. The conversion was missed, but the lead was not to be surrendered. Coventry appeared to tire more than the visitors, and it was generally Bristol mistakes that allowed their increasingly rare forays into the Bristol half. Nonetheless, a period of pressure did allow them to cut the lead to 17-22 with another Davies penalty.

Bristol, though, had the last word as Brownrigg, a reliable source of lineout ball throughout, set up a catch and drive and the Bristol forwards powered over, Saul Nelson scoring. There could have been a further try, but Marsden was unable to make the final yards, denying his side the bonus point and himself a hat trick.

Bristol will return pleased with having won against determined opponents. As the news of Exeter’s defeat and Plymouth’s less than convincing win over bottom placed Orrell filtered through, Bristol’s supporters joyously welcomed the boost to their promotion hopes. But it is not just them who can look forward to the coming weeks with renewed optimism. National League One is a genuine three horse race and other clubs will have a great say in who finally finishes top, anxious to test their mettle ahead of their own promotion charges in future seasons.