Ealing are stunned by brave Coventry
INSPIRED by a brilliant individual display from skipper Jordon Poole, Coventry clinched a thrilling win over leaders Ealing in a tension-packed finale.
Poole crossed twice for the hosts during an opening half that switched relentlessly from endto-end before carrying and tackling himself to a standstill in a second period that saw Cov gradually seize the initiative.
Ealing eventually outscored the blue-andwhites by six tries to four, but with Craig Willis and Billy Twelvetrees collectively unable to locate their kicking boots it was the home side that deservedly emerged victorious.
Head coach Alex Rae said: “We had two very good teams going toe-totoe today in a fantastic advert for Championship rugby. I’m really proud of the players and the comwhen mitment they showed. We were asleep for the first 10 minutes and then after that it was two very good attacking teams going at each other even if the defence coaches will be pulling their hair out a bit.”
Coventry made the worst possible start by conceding two soft long-distance tries in the opening five minutes to the always-dangerous Jonah Holmes and James Cordy-Redden. But the champions-elect knew they were in a match the home side struck back through centre Ollie Betteridge after his midfield partner Will Wand’s clever offload.
And shortly before the half-hour mark Cov were ahead when Poole was left with the simplest of finishes after Ealing overthrew their jumpers at a defensive lineout.
Ealing’s Nathan Earle then applied a good finish to a flowing attack launched by Andrew Davidson’s midfield break before Craig Hampson
took an inside ball and raced over from 40 metres for their bonus point score.
With an eight-point lead the visitors briefly threatened to take control, so Poole’s second try - created by Matt Kvesic was therefore critical for the hosts.
Pellegrini’s third conversion of the opening 40 minutes left Cov facing only a single point interval deficit and when he slotted a simple penalty soon after the restart the hosts had their noses in front.
With home flanker Tom Ball in the sin bin Ealing drove hooker Matt Cornish over for their fifth try but the lead quickly changed hands again when Pellegrini slipped Jimmy Martin under the posts with a clever delayed pass.
Cov’s fly half twice pushed long-distance penalties wide before Tobi Wilson slotted a nerveless kick from 35 metres with six minutes remaining.
The hosts were then forced to absorb plenty of late pressure but after Earle claimed his second score, Twelvetrees was unable to add the touchline conversion that would have levelled the scores.