Coventry
The Update (9/2/22)
By Steve Kimberley
February 9 2022
Time for another mash-up of bits and pieces from the last couple of weeks, and a musing or two on the season so far, eh?
At this point of the season, we're usually looking out for news from the club regarding new signings, extended contracts, and players moving on to pastures new or even hanging up their boots.
However, this season, like the previous one, it may well turn out to be a rather fallow field, with clubs at this level – particularly Cov, given the potential expenditure on facilities coming up – doing their best to hang onto their jewels for another term at least while waiting, more in hope than anything, for gateways (up) to be unbolted.
As a club, we have some very good talent developing. This has been self-evident this season given that many younger players have been thrust into the line of duty due to the seemingly never-shortening injury list that blights the nominal senior squad.
And that's no bad thing.
The likes of Fred Betteridge, Tom Ball, Louis James, Joe Brock, Evan Mitchell and others who have shone when handed their chance just go to prove that the club is moving in the right direction on the field as well as off it.
It would be nice if fewer dual-registrations had been necessary, but that's the way the cookie crumbled this time round, but we should also give due thanks to those that came in from far-flung outposts such as Sale and Exeter. Several have done a good job for us. Some absolutely excellent.
Some, it has to be said, possibly should have stayed where they were – but that's more a reflection on the system than on the individuals, who are in all probability far better than they may have demonstrated under difficult, maybe impossible, circumstances.
Back to 'The Yoot' though, and we can clearly see the influence of the Coventry Moulton Academy, taking root and flourishing. Let's hope this is no false dawn unlike the ill-fated Coventry Henley Academy, which, although very successful on the pitch was never going to work politically in the longer term.
We can hope – and it seems to be working for both sides so far.
Take Sunday's Academy vs Lambs game for instance. Two sides with exceptional records, but playing at different levels, with Cov unable to secure much in the way of competitive opposition until this week. And, from what I can glean, it showed. Cov were apparently strong up front (this is all from third-party intel BTW) while the Lambs had a very definite edge in the backs. The result, while falling right for the visitors may be seen as largely academic (no pun) due to the disparity of the circles that the two sides mix in, yet it appears that the Cov youngsters were by no means disgraced, and indeed made a real fist of it as the game settled.
This is the kind of match that will only benefit the players, and it is to be hoped that those with the power to make changes will take note of this result and previous ones, and sensibly readjust the level at which the Cov lads compete.
Getting back to the bread and butter of Championship Rugby, and the 29th of January proved to be an unhappy day for the Coventry side. A very composed first half turned into a whistle-fest – to the detriment of the home side – in the second stanza. With zero points added to the half-time total, and not even a losing bonus point to show for their undoubted efforts following a last minute try against a tired, shorn of Luc Jeannot again, Cov pack who couldn't quite defend yet another kick-to-the-corner-and-bash-it-in from the visitors, it was pretty painful to witness.
Little justice there then, but we'd take it if it was the other way round I'm certain.
Good luck to the Cornishmen, but for all their huff and puff this season, they're going to be in the same league as us next September yet again. My verdict? Spend money on getting a fit-for-purpose ground first.
As a small consolation, at least the Butts had a reasonable crowd in on the day, beating the second-placed figure (Bedford) by a good margin. It's great to see crowd numbers building again, even if it's a slow, steady increase following Covid.
Elsewhere in the Championship, and I'll concentrate more on last weekend's fixtures, when Cov were forced again to sit things out (the RFU, as usual, polishing their gin bottles while ignoring everything other than their blessed national interests), Ealing kept up their march towards the Premiership with a solid, if unspectacular win over Hartpury in front of 811 spectators, while Pirates, Jersey, and Doncaster all won to stay in contention.
Sort of.
Ealing now have a two-point lead over the chasing pack, but crucially have two games in hand over Jersey and Doncaster, and have a huge advantage in their points difference. Fourth place Pirates have played the same number of games as the leaders, but are a bonus point win and over 200 points adrift.
Can Ealing slip up again? Of course, but I ain't betting my house on it.
Incidentally, the Doncaster, Nottingham, and Richmond games were played in front of a total of 2580 spectators – just 44 more in total than were at the BPA the week before.
Let that sink in. Three games involving teams in the top four of the league.
How, in heaven's name, is this sustainable?
(Fun Fact: On a cold Tuesday evening this week, 10236 spectators attended a football match between Stockport County and Chesterfield. Bearing in mind that this was a non-league game – albeit between two sides chasing the prize in top and second places – it certainly throws level two rugby crowd figures into sharp focus).
Having touched on the subject of poor governance, the RFU, bless them, have thrown a couple of gems/spanners into the mix this week.
Firstly, they've told us that Round 22 of the Championship has been moved from March 19th to April 2nd. How much, if any, consultation was put into this I've no idea, but if you've made prior arrangements – tough.
More importantly, they've also finally managed to let us know what the arrangements for the Championship Cup are. And what a ripper that turned out to be.
It seems that if you have an E and an A and an L in your name, in that order, you get a bye straight through to the Quarter Finals. Hmmm. Apparently, that's down to the fact that they were table leaders at the time the 'draw' took place.
That's OK then.
Still, we're OK aren't we, as we're guaranteed two home games at least, which is what we signed up for when we bought our season tickets, isn't it? Oh no, wait, we only get one guaranteed home game?
It stinks. To high heaven. But that's what we've become accustomed to, and they, the RFU, know that there's not a thing the clubs can do about it without going right out on a limb.
If I needed that final reason to not renew my ST this close-season – and I was already on the verge of taking that decision after many years of holding one - that's the one. I know it's not the club's fault, far from it, but; camel, meet straw.
We may get a second home tie, if we beat Ampthill over two legs (9th April, 23rd April – why the two weeks gap?) but that's not a guarantee. Not what we were promised.
As I said, it stinks.
There are other peculiarities built in, some down to the unavoidable fact that there are only eleven sides competing, but also some that just don't sit right, but I'll leave that right there.
Anyway, on to Lady Bay on Friday evening, and another chance to improve the old away record. It's a theme isn't it?
Cheers, Steve
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09/02/2022 16:02
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:02:22:11:51:39 by Kimbo.
Now then, time for an edit 🤣😉
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