By Steve Kimberley
May 22 2022

A FAIRLY tumultuous fortnight for Cov comes to an end then

and what do we find? Well, Cov, after a tremendous performance against all the odds, came up just short in the Championship Cup Final at Trailfinders Sports Ground, Ealing.

Going into the game, we had learned that several players were going to be playing their final game for the club, with the likes of the most experienced seniors hanging up their (playing) boots. The losses of Phil Boulton, Tony Fenner, and Ryan Burrows will be difficult, if not impossible collectively, to reconcile, and one wonders where that experience is going to come from next term?

Yes, there are ready-to-roll replacements particularly at Eight, where Tiki is a natural replacement for Buzz, but overall, without splashing a bit of cash it's hard to see how the gap will be filled. Stand-offs of the calibre and consistency (and experience) of Fenner don't come cheap, and neither do props who can pin a scrummage like Boults.

Against this backdrop though, next season promises to be an odd old beast - maybe as odd as the two just passed - with no promotion on offer to Ealing, er, sorry, to the league winners, yet some clubs no doubt will see it as their bounden duty to spend heavily on expensive journeymen in an effort to win what is ultimately, thanks to the dithering and gonad-free RFU, a meaningless competition.

So why bother?

Well, there's one small matter we need to guard against, and that's potential relegation to the third tier, perish the thought. And who knows which clubs are likely to be in the mix at the basement end next Spring? Caldy? Haven't a clue to be honest. They're a decent hard-working, quite well supported little outfit who have up to now eschewed, quite rightly in my opinion, the route of borrowing players to make up numbers and get where they are today. However, with a very strong rumour that they are about to announce a tie-up with Sale Sharks it appears that their model is changing, and maybe they'll warrant attention.

Who else will be in the mix for the drop? Again, no clue. Richmond with their City connections always seem to pull together a strong squad, although the retirement of Mark Bright may cause some head-scratching at the Athletic Ground, and their neighbours London Scottish now appear to have got into bed with Harlequin FC, who will also be anxious to keep their new plaything handily one rung down.

So, who is left?

• Hartpury? See London Scottish, but substitute Gloucester.
• Ampthill? Allegedly cosying up with another Prem giant.
• Bedford? Not a chance as long as Saints need a youth berth.
• Nottingham? Tigers...
• And us? Who knows? How deep are Jon Sharp's pockets, and for how long will he be reaching into them?

The rest? Nope. Can't see it. They're all too well funded and somewhat ambitious, let's face it.

So without a fair old injection of playing talent/cash we could be in for a long hard season.

Let's hope for much better news though now this season is done.

Getting back to yesterday, as someone who was unable to travel due to family requirements, and also someone who just can't bear to listen to games on the wireless (sorry JB, absolutely no offence meant to you, it's just that I can't be doing with not being able to see what is actually going on. My stress levels go through the roof!) I was reduced to following on Twitter.

Now normally, until very recently, That's often meant I've had to put up with the opposition's own Twitfeed, complete with (e.g. Ealing's) liberal peppering of superfluous characters and exclamation marks and OTT announcements of everything good that they do.

TTTRRRRRRYYYY!!!!!!!!! for heavens' sake. Appallingly irritating, but maybe I'm just out of step? So it was with a heavy heart I had resigned myself to such one-sided guff at 2.59pm yesterday. However, for whatever reason I decided to start with Cov's feed... and I'm so glad I did.

It flowed. It kept up with the action. It had commentary on phases of play. It was excellent.

Now, maybe I've missed something. Maybe the club have abandoned experiments with using less-than-knowledgeable interns for this vital task?

Maybe it's the hand of a particular former Cov Stand-off himself? I don't know, but whatever it is, please keep doing it Cov.

On the subject of 'Socials', and I do realise that DL has been heavily involved with Facebook and You Tube output, the quality and quantity of such has improved immeasurably of late. Long may it continue.

And still on yesterday, It was good to hear reports back from Ealing that Blue 'n' White shirts considerably outnumbered green ones. I've alluded to this elsewhere today, but make no apologies for going over the same ground. With Cov making representations to the RFU to have the game staged at the BPA in light of games at Twickenham, Wembley, and elsewhere on the same day, and the potential for a sell-out at the BPA, the reported 1400 estimated (why?) crowd can only be seen as yet another shot to the foot for the gin-slingers of TW1.

Oh, what a circus.

Or maybe, just maybe, it was exactly what they wanted? Maybe their fetid, addled little braincells see it as an opportunity to point the finger at the Championship and say “we told you so; why should we support Level Two when their 'important' games attract such a pitiful crowd”. And “aren't we forward-thinking and clever for blocking Ealing's elevation to the Premiership cartel? Blah de blah. Hic.”

Who knows? But nowt would surprise me with that shower.

OK, before I really start to put my foot in it, just a quick round-up of the scores from the game to round things off.

Ealing start on the front foot it seems, with Shingler slotting a penalty for a 3-0 lead in the first four minutes after watching a field goal attempt slide wide.

Cov respond a couple of minutes later with a try from Josh Barton, topped up by Fenner for 3-7.

Ealing pull three back with another penalty from Shingler on 20 minutes. 6-7.

Cov go over again on 27 minutes but the try is disallowed.

On 35 minutes, Fenner again puts one over for 6-10, and that's the scoreline Cov take into the break.

Just a minute into the half, that man Fenner steps up again to extend the lead to 6-13.

52 minutes and Shingler pots another penalty for 9-13

On 58 minutes, another Cov effort is disallowed for a penalty to the hosts.

A tap sees Ealing over on the hour to take a 16-13 lead.

Willis puts over a penalty on 72 minutes to take the lead to 19-13.

Late Cov pressure comes to naught, and the final score remains 19-13 to the hosts.

A superb effort, but just not to be.

Pics: Nick Meredith

The Update - and a Cup Final - 22/5/22

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 22/05/2022 12:31

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
22/05/2022 12:31

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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2022:06:04:17:59:13 by Kimbo.

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