Nottingham 24-36 Coventry (RFU Championship) 27.03.21
It was a third straight defeat of the season for Nottingham Rugby but a third match of improvement for a new team built during tough times and progress being made Neil Fowkes who stated after “we were much happier with the second half performance”.
Nottingham fell behind on 14 minutes to a converted try but a tense first half was much tighter than the score suggested, on 33 minutes Coventry made it two converted scores without reply and on the stroke of half time added further damage with a third try, converted to leave the away side 21-0 up.
A penalty extended that lead just after the break but Nottingham responded on 47 when Harry Graham went over to register the clubs 6,000th point in the Championship, the conversion good, two minutes later Graham was at it again as he went over for a second but this time the conversion was missed to leave the scores at 12-24.
Both teams went over to add further tries in an entertaining half with both sides missing conversions and as Nottingham closed in with a late try by Shaun Evans on 78 minutes to leave the score at 24-29, it was nervy moments immediately quashed as the visitors went straight up the other end to put the game beyond doubt with a try of their own, converted before full time with the lead extended to 12 points.
Whilst Nottingham shown promise, too often Coventry got through to score, but certainly the side have come a long way in the four weeks since the opening match of the season, the club next face Hartpury in a fortnight with plenty to build upon.
Starting Team: Jack Stapley, Harry Graham, Charlie Thacker, Will Simmonds, Luke Mehson, Ed Coulson, Michael Stronge, Aniseko Sio, Luke Cole, Karl Garside, Jac Price, Luke Frost, Willie Ryan, Carl Kirwan, Jordan Coghlan.
Replacements: Shaun Evans, Ben Betts, Harri O’Connor, Rouban Birch, George Cox, Alex Dolly, Sam Spink, Jake Farnworth.
*Main image @NottinghamRugby action from Lady Bay as Coventry beat Nottingham.
