Richmond 17 Coventry 52

For 55 minutes, Richmond fought ferociously hard to stay level with visitors, Coventry but they could not maintain the intensity in the final 25 minutes, when they conceded five tries. Coventry are one of the fully professional sides in the Champ and, on this occasion, the difference in preparation did finally show.

Additionally, with ‘international’ games taking place at Wembley, Brentford and Twickenham, Richmond’s reduced crowd could not do a full job as ‘sixteenth man’. There will be better days. Richmond now reside in 12th position in the Champ table and next face an important away fixture at Cambridge. Coventry, who have made a slow start to the season, moved up to ninth position.

Richmond had changes at full back, scrum half, hooker and No 8 but the replacements were regular squad members. The afternoon started sunny and dry but there was a significant wind which both sides needed to adjust to. It was therefore no surprise that box kicks dominated the opening minutes, with both scrum halves regularly hoisting the ball into the sky. The visitors got the first reward, with a scrum on the Richmond ten metre line after the ball was lost in a tackle.

Ominously, Coventry got the shove together with a penalty at the scrum and used the chance to set up in the 22. Richmond initially escaped when the visitors threw an ambitious ball in the wind to the back of the lineout and it was adjudged not straight.

Given the chance to clear, Richmond were nearly caught out by a break deep into the 22 from centre Oli Morris but he was stopped a metre short. Referee Andy Wigley found fault with the tackle and this time Coventry got their routine working perfectly, the hard working Poole getting the touchdown and Josh Thomas converting.

Richmond soon responded. Coventry knocked on at the kick off and, from a rock solid scrum, Ronnie Du Randt and the back row bludgeoned their way forward, supported by Alex Schwarz who was stopped by what seemed to be a high tackle five metres out. Lock Dan Green was yellow carded, but Richmond had to settle for a penalty. Happily, they set up a drive from the line out, and Alex Post found space to burst clear on the blindside. After ten minutes, the score was 5-7.

The game continued to be dominated by some steepling box kicks and, when Richmond dropped one of them just outside the home 22, Coventry fully capitalised. The tricky winger David Opoku-Fordjour linked with flanker Tom Ball before sending Josh Barton clear for the try and a 5-14 scoreline. Thomas was now replaced by Tommy Mathews, whose game management was to prove crucial to Coventry’s victory.

Once again Richmond had the spirit to respond within five minutes. Callum Grieve slipped a neat grubber through to the corner for a five metre line out. Coventry secured possession but then lost the ball as they tried to run from deep. Richmond needed no extra bidding and this time it was George Nugent who powered through Barton’s tackle to get the touchdown, Grieve adding the conversion.

Sam Pim was given a yellow card in the final ten minutes but his colleagues worked hard to hold out to half time with a 12-14 scoreline and all to play for.

A revitalised Coventry came out for the second half with four more substitutes. Within the opening minute of the half, they had extended their lead to seven points. Paddy Case, who ran his heart out in the centre was tackled and, at the breakdown, Coventry were awarded a penalty, which was kicked into the 22. The visitors were ruthless in following up, backs and forwards combining through countless phases before full back Ewan Baker got the touchdown.

Could Richmond come back again? To their credit, they did in the following seven minutes, with the pack barraging the line after a penalty at the kick off. Three penalties and three close range line outs in quick succession built the pressure before Schwarz sent a well judged long pass to Chidera Obonna, the ball inches short of the despairing Coventry winger, who went for the intercept.

With the score 17-19, a close finish looked set, and a fourth try seemed within ready sight. However, it did not turn out that way.

Under pressure, Richmond were leaking too many penalties. After 55 minutes Mathews kicked to ten metres and once again his side showed admirable patience and skill to batter the hard working defence and finally create a gap for prop Matt Johnson to score a try, converted by Mathews. Four minutes later, they had another try following similar pressure. This time winger Peter Sullivan ran clear into the left corner.

With the deficit now fourteen points, Richmond’s belief was really tested for the first time this season. By contrast, a confident Coventry now felt able to break free. Sam Maunder, once an Exeter Chiefs regular, was the substitute scrum half and he quickly showed his class running in from thirty metre with a neat feint after his pack wheeled the scrum to create a defensive hole.

Two more tries followed in the final ten minutes. Dafydd Rhys-Tiueti sent Sullivan clear for his second try and Richmond were left with five more minutes to fashion a fourth try. They battled their way into the opposition half but, just as expectations lifted, Sullivan intercepted a long pass to the outside to run in his third try and his seventh of the last two games. It shows what can happen when things go your way.

Rob Powell commented: ‘We weren’t good enough today. In some areas we were not as competitive as we’d like to be. In the second half, we didn’t show the normal levels of excellence and endeavour that a Richmond side normally display, especially at home. We know we need to be better than that at Cambridge next week’.

Team: A. O’Meara,, C. Obonna, P.Case, R. Du Randt, J.Addams, C. Grieve, A,Schwarz, C.Freeman, A.Post, L.Spring, J. Monson, G. Nugent, E.Benson, X.Hastings S.Pim
Subs: H.Hosking, B. Vaughan, J. Litchfield, M.Wakeling, J.Cardew, F.Charles, J.Baggott, T.Savaiinaea

Tries: Post, Nugent, Obonna
Conversions: Grieve