Latest Coventrians RFC News
Ranj Sinclair sent me these bonza photies all the way from Perth - click here and enjoy
Coventrians RFC Club Dinner
Friday 26th June 7pm - tickets from behind the bar at 15 pounds per head - choice of chicken or beef - mixed evening.
AGM - Thursday 2nd July at 7pm
Coventrians 2nds 3 - 63 Earlsdon 3rds
Covents took the lead through a Ben Davies penalty and everything was rosy but they couldn't quite hang on for the last 78 minutes against a strong Earlsdon outfit
Harbury 26 - 0 Coventrians
Covents Second Best but Keep Respect Intact
On another sunny and breezy Saturday, Covents duly arrived at Harbury?s top of the league party with 8 regulars absent and cast in the role of sacrificial lambs. I arrived 5 minutes after kick-off as Springy drove over via The Panama Canal and encouraged by a large home crowd and 20 plus Covents supporters, both sides had started at a frenetic pace.
This game was almost a carbon copy of Keresley last week as poor positional kicking put Harbury?s slick, pacy backs in for three tries by the 31st minute as again our play seemed fragmented and individual rather than as a team. Feeling a little complacent, a Harbury flanker was overheard to say, ?We?ve got ?em now boys? and perhaps thinking our neck was to be wrung like a chicken. To quote Churchill, ?Some Chicken, Some Neck!?
Half ? Time 0 - 19
A different Covents took the field in the second half. A Covents that we all recognize and love. A spirited, passionate Covents, firing on all cylinders. Within 5 minutes the pack, driven forward by veteran No 8 Trevor Roberts and featuring an aggressive Giz at second row, were participating in their now weekly ritual of camping in the opposition 22. They were rumbling now, first-half cobwebs blown away, picking and driving, mauling and rucking, whipped into a frenzy by the belligerent Brum-Half (playing in flanker mode) the blue and white eight pounded at Harbury?s door time and time again. Powerful drives by Danny Pearson and Trevor Roberts, crash balls from Steve Vallis, surging runs from DJ or Carter were all soaked up by a solid Harbury defence but after every such exchange a red and white would lie injured such was the ferocity of the blue pack attack.
Similarly, the backs were doing their job when called upon; marshalled by Dougie at fly-half, winger Alan Bedford raiding out wide and Paul Brindley nearly in at the opposite corner before being bundled into touch. At the resulting lineout, Joe Swaffield once again cleaned out - he was a towering presence all day. At one point Trevor Roberts picked from the base, three yards out and taking several Harbury forwards with him, got over and down to score but was smothered and held up by good tackling. With 20 mins to go, Covents secret weapon, The Silver Fox (Deano) entered the fray and notched up the heat in Harbury?s kitchen by a few more degrees with his committed, aggressive play. Fair play to Harbury though, they withstood the heat and didn't leave the kitchen.
That said, Covents were in their half for almost 35 minutes with Harbury only kicking out three times only to return to desperate defence. When, in the last 10 they did counter, a series of big hits from full-back Simon kept our defensive line intact and as we entered the 5th minute of injury time, just as it looked like we?d draw the second-half 0-0 Harbury luckily scored a try from a rebound that they didn?t really deserve and the referee blew for time as the successful conversion was landed for 0 ? 26.
So, congratulations to Harbury who will finish top if Redditch fails to win on Tuesday. League tables don?t lie, if you?re top you?re the best but once again, the blue boys put in a mighty day at the office. A second-half of blood, sweat, guts and determination made sure that once again, respect was due and left us supporters proud but wondering what if we?d played like that in the first-half. Not so good for the three quarters who would probably have needed to bring something to read but horses for courses as they say.
Don?t like to single anyone out but one or two mentions here; Wozza who shook everyone?s hand at the end saying that he?s retiring to play only second team rugby next season. (Yeah right) You're a long time retired big man, surely there's one more season of terrorizing opposition props left in you? Giz and Trev the two veterans who looked like they?d never been away, Simon for a standout performance at full-back, Swaff in the lineout and Cozzy for joining the backs in the second-half. Not to mention centre Lenny who with that ponytail, looked like a young John Kenny.
Highlights of the match ? Deadeye Doug?s torpedo that found touch and then Springy?s car and Steve Vallis?s hand off that missed causing him to fall over. Finally Danny Pearson, throwing in from a lineout to number one jumper Vallis 3 yards out so hard that he knocked him over.
Boys I can?t tell you how much I?ve enjoyed watching this season, I can hardly wait for September to roll round - Coventrians RFC ? you know it makes sense! 
New album in gallery - if you can identify players or teams feel free. Thanks to Sean for the photos - to view click here
Saturday 25th April 2009
Coventrians 2nds 3 - 63 Earlsdon 3rds (Warks 3) 3:00
Harbury 26 - 0 Coventrians (Mids 5 West South) 3:00
This is our final league match of the season - our all time record v Harbury in league rugby is P17 W3 D1 L13 two of those wins have been achieved at Harbury - 22nd April 1989 when Covents, with an outside chance of promotion went all out attack, winning 46-21 with a hat-trick from Chris McDonnell, a brace from Jim Bradford, Hunty, Rich Kenny and Cottage Pye among the other scorers. On the 11th Feb 1995 we won there 15-3 with tries from Andy Cooke and Nick Castle, Dave Davidson adding the extras - On the 24th March 2001 we crashed 0 - 98!
All the best to both the first and second team - let's go out in style boys.
Saturday 18th April 2009
Coventrians 2nds 14 - 16 Bedworth 3rds (Warks 3) If someone can tell me on the guestbook who scored I'll put it on but this still looks a great result against Beduth 3rds. Well done to the lads.
Keresley 20 - 0 Coventrians (Mids 5 West South)
Covents went down 0 ? 20 at Keresley today in a classic game of two halves. In pleasant spring sunshine in front of a large home crowd (K?s VP?s day) we kicked off with Danny, Keiran, Joe, Carl and Kev all missing but still a strong-ish looking side. After a fairly even first 15 minutes with both teams feeling each other out (is this legal?) and Wayne Brandfour (2nd row) and Cozzy on the flank distinguishing themselves it was Keresley though who made the breakthrough in the 16th minute after a poor kick allowed them to run in and score an unconverted try for 0 ? 5.
In the 23rd minute an outbreak of tennis broke out as both sides kicked to each other and the crowd exercised their necks but Keresley got fed up and receiving a kick that missed touch decided to run it in, again unconverted for 0-10. In the 30th minute, Ks were pressuring again but strong Covents? defence kept them out. In the 36th minute however, a good tackle from Rohan wasn?t enough and the K-men scored again to make the half-time score 0 ? 15.
In the 44th minute, Keresley found themselves with an overlap and their prop went over in the corner for 0 ? 20. So with Covents looking a bit lack-lustre and dispirited some of us feared the worst but it signalled the best period of the match for the blue & whites as they rolled their sleeves up and took the game to the home side.
In the 50th minute Phil Jones (on for Dougie) almost scored in the corner when he only just failed to gather his own clever little chip. From a scrum, Covents made progress into K?s half through scrum-half Nick Coates and a ?weighty? drive by Steve Vallis. K?s were feeling the pressure now as a break from their base was halted by a trademark Wayne ?hit.? Attacking again from an accurate lineout throw to Dave Bailey from stand-in hooker D J, Covents looked dangerous with two waves of attacking play from Nick Coates as he beat three defenders before being stopped.
This led to a Covent?s penalty on K?s line but the opposition turned over and cleared to touch. From the lineout a K?s forward was penalized for being so far offside he was working undercover. This was now ?camping? territory as Covent?s set up home in Keresley?s 22, coming again and again through Nick & Dazzler and at one point putting Chris Simons in who beating 2 men was again stopped by solid K?s defence.
The game?s pattern was set now; Covents attacking, Keresley defending and suddenly with a ball from Cozzy, D J was sniffing the line, surged forward, but was held by 2 or 3 defending forwards stopping him inches short. This resulted in a lengthy injury delay and when play restarted Covent?s had a small village built on Keresley?s line and attacked from it with Wayne B this time in to score before knocking on at the vital moment.
Forget lack-lustre and dispirited, the blue & white boys were now full of attacking determination and a score was sure to come. The 58th minute saw us turn ball over and winger John Field, all 11 stone of him picked up and driving bravely into Keresley?s pack shouted ?On me!? Unfortunately for John, he was slightly too quick and the ?boys? slightly too deaf as they decided to stand back and admire his courage. This led to another lengthy break as John limped from the field aching from every bone and the silver fox, Deano took the field like a gladiator to the fray with Wayne moving to the left wing. The next five minutes saw much of the same with Covents still camped in K?s 22 attacking and them defending. Another long injury break saw our full-back receiving treatment for a knock on the head. The physio shouted, ?he doesn?t know who he is? to which we shouted back, ?tell him he?s Serge Blanco!?
In the 65th minute both Rohan and Phil Jones, (catching a poor touch kick) went close but were stopped short. A minute later, Cozzy, Deano, Dave Bailey and D J all had a go at driving forward against Keresley?s brick wall. In the 69th minute, Keresley actually made it into Covent?s half for the first time in about 20 minutes and two minutes later with Chris Simons intercepting he put Cozzy in and with the field suddenly opening up Cozzy tucked the ball under his arm and ran as fast as his little legs would carry him finally passing to Rohan who moving for the corner beat three or four defenders but was once again stopped short by desperate defence.
As this move broke down, the referee curiously blew his whistle for full time with what I made 8 or 9 minutes left to play ? not that anyone complained. Strange that, we kicked off at 3pm and the game ended at 4:21. That?s 81 minutes with several long injuries and half-time in between. Answers on a postcard please.
So there we were, well beaten but able to hold our heads up high with a second-half performance full of guts and spirit. On another day we might have dotted down twice and then who knows? Fair play to Keresley, they scored the points and then soaked up all our pressure as we huffed, puffed and hurled several kitchen sinks at them. Well done to the boys and special mention to Cozzy who stood in as skipper today and put in a great performance.
Saturday 11th April 2009
Spartans 3rds 22 - 38 Coventrians 2nds
A great win for the blue & white boys with tries from; Simon Needles 2, Sam Montague 2, Alan Bedford, Jon Field and 3 conversions from Ben Davis, 1 from Sam Collinson.
This was a league game and my apologies for getting names and scorers wrong - this was due to duff info from my snout.
Wozza Does us Proud
Woz Garner (middle) seen here sprinting to a break down did Covents proud last night as the Cov District side went down 29-10 to Rugby at Keresley. Keiran had to withdraw with a nasty bout of touritus so it was left to The Beast to hold the blue & white end up on a lovely, rock hard pitch.
To our tourists, have a great one boys. Try and get past East Mids airport tomorrow and look out for police cells, brawls and snowdrifts. Will look forward to printing some 'tall tour tales' from Prague - or maybe not . . .
2nd Team League
Finally (thanks to Broadstreet's website) I've located the Warks 3 League Table so second team players, sit back pour another drink and bask in the glory of a very respectable position in what for us should be called "The League of Death." (click here) Wait, do your eyes deceive you? Yes, because even with your limited maths skills you know we should be 7th with 40 points not 9th - thanks a bunch.
District game
Congratulations to The Beast and Supersize Me (aka Woz at loose head & Keiran 2nd row) who have been called into the Coventry & Mid Warwickshire RFU side to play Rugby & District RFU (we think) on Wednesday 8th April 7:15pm at Keresley.
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Ranj Sinclair sent me these bonza photies all the way from Perth - click here and enjoy |
 Coventrians RFC Club Dinner Friday 26th June 7pm - tickets from behind the bar at 15 pounds per head - choice of chicken or beef - mixed evening. AGM - Thursday 2nd July at 7pm |
Coventrians 2nds 3 - 63 Earlsdon 3rds Covents took the lead through a Ben Davies penalty and everything was rosy but they couldn't quite hang on for the last 78 minutes against a strong Earlsdon outfit |
Harbury 26 - 0 Coventrians Covents Second Best but Keep Respect Intact On another sunny and breezy Saturday, Covents duly arrived at Harbury?s top of the league party with 8 regulars absent and cast in the role of sacrificial lambs. I arrived 5 minutes after kick-off as Springy drove over via The Panama Canal and encouraged by a large home crowd and 20 plus Covents supporters, both sides had started at a frenetic pace. This game was almost a carbon copy of Keresley last week as poor positional kicking put Harbury?s slick, pacy backs in for three tries by the 31st minute as again our play seemed fragmented and individual rather than as a team. Feeling a little complacent, a Harbury flanker was overheard to say, ?We?ve got ?em now boys? and perhaps thinking our neck was to be wrung like a chicken. To quote Churchill, ?Some Chicken, Some Neck!? Half ? Time 0 - 19 A different Covents took the field in the second half. A Covents that we all recognize and love. A spirited, passionate Covents, firing on all cylinders. Within 5 minutes the pack, driven forward by veteran No 8 Trevor Roberts and featuring an aggressive Giz at second row, were participating in their now weekly ritual of camping in the opposition 22. They were rumbling now, first-half cobwebs blown away, picking and driving, mauling and rucking, whipped into a frenzy by the belligerent Brum-Half (playing in flanker mode) the blue and white eight pounded at Harbury?s door time and time again. Powerful drives by Danny Pearson and Trevor Roberts, crash balls from Steve Vallis, surging runs from DJ or Carter were all soaked up by a solid Harbury defence but after every such exchange a red and white would lie injured such was the ferocity of the blue pack attack. Similarly, the backs were doing their job when called upon; marshalled by Dougie at fly-half, winger Alan Bedford raiding out wide and Paul Brindley nearly in at the opposite corner before being bundled into touch. At the resulting lineout, Joe Swaffield once again cleaned out - he was a towering presence all day. At one point Trevor Roberts picked from the base, three yards out and taking several Harbury forwards with him, got over and down to score but was smothered and held up by good tackling. With 20 mins to go, Covents secret weapon, The Silver Fox (Deano) entered the fray and notched up the heat in Harbury?s kitchen by a few more degrees with his committed, aggressive play. Fair play to Harbury though, they withstood the heat and didn't leave the kitchen. That said, Covents were in their half for almost 35 minutes with Harbury only kicking out three times only to return to desperate defence. When, in the last 10 they did counter, a series of big hits from full-back Simon kept our defensive line intact and as we entered the 5th minute of injury time, just as it looked like we?d draw the second-half 0-0 Harbury luckily scored a try from a rebound that they didn?t really deserve and the referee blew for time as the successful conversion was landed for 0 ? 26. So, congratulations to Harbury who will finish top if Redditch fails to win on Tuesday. League tables don?t lie, if you?re top you?re the best but once again, the blue boys put in a mighty day at the office. A second-half of blood, sweat, guts and determination made sure that once again, respect was due and left us supporters proud but wondering what if we?d played like that in the first-half. Not so good for the three quarters who would probably have needed to bring something to read but horses for courses as they say. Don?t like to single anyone out but one or two mentions here; Wozza who shook everyone?s hand at the end saying that he?s retiring to play only second team rugby next season. (Yeah right) You're a long time retired big man, surely there's one more season of terrorizing opposition props left in you? Giz and Trev the two veterans who looked like they?d never been away, Simon for a standout performance at full-back, Swaff in the lineout and Cozzy for joining the backs in the second-half. Not to mention centre Lenny who with that ponytail, looked like a young John Kenny. Highlights of the match ? Deadeye Doug?s torpedo that found touch and then Springy?s car and Steve Vallis?s hand off that missed causing him to fall over. Finally Danny Pearson, throwing in from a lineout to number one jumper Vallis 3 yards out so hard that he knocked him over. Boys I can?t tell you how much I?ve enjoyed watching this season, I can hardly wait for September to roll round - Coventrians RFC ? you know it makes sense! |
New album in gallery - if you can identify players or teams feel free. Thanks to Sean for the photos - to view click here |
Saturday 25th April 2009 Coventrians 2nds 3 - 63 Earlsdon 3rds (Warks 3) 3:00 Harbury 26 - 0 Coventrians (Mids 5 West South) 3:00 This is our final league match of the season - our all time record v Harbury in league rugby is P17 W3 D1 L13 two of those wins have been achieved at Harbury - 22nd April 1989 when Covents, with an outside chance of promotion went all out attack, winning 46-21 with a hat-trick from Chris McDonnell, a brace from Jim Bradford, Hunty, Rich Kenny and Cottage Pye among the other scorers. On the 11th Feb 1995 we won there 15-3 with tries from Andy Cooke and Nick Castle, Dave Davidson adding the extras - On the 24th March 2001 we crashed 0 - 98! All the best to both the first and second team - let's go out in style boys. |
Saturday 18th April 2009 Coventrians 2nds 14 - 16 Bedworth 3rds (Warks 3) If someone can tell me on the guestbook who scored I'll put it on but this still looks a great result against Beduth 3rds. Well done to the lads. Keresley 20 - 0 Coventrians (Mids 5 West South) |
Saturday 11th April 2009 Spartans 3rds 22 - 38 Coventrians 2nds A great win for the blue & white boys with tries from; Simon Needles 2, Sam Montague 2, Alan Bedford, Jon Field and 3 conversions from Ben Davis, 1 from Sam Collinson. This was a league game and my apologies for getting names and scorers wrong - this was due to duff info from my snout. |
 Wozza Does us Proud
Woz Garner (middle) seen here sprinting to a break down did Covents proud last night as the Cov District side went down 29-10 to Rugby at Keresley. Keiran had to withdraw with a nasty bout of touritus so it was left to The Beast to hold the blue & white end up on a lovely, rock hard pitch. To our tourists, have a great one boys. Try and get past East Mids airport tomorrow and look out for police cells, brawls and snowdrifts. Will look forward to printing some 'tall tour tales' from Prague - or maybe not . . . |
2nd Team League Finally (thanks to Broadstreet's website) I've located the Warks 3 League Table so second team players, sit back pour another drink and bask in the glory of a very respectable position in what for us should be called "The League of Death." (click here) Wait, do your eyes deceive you? Yes, because even with your limited maths skills you know we should be 7th with 40 points not 9th - thanks a bunch. District game Congratulations to The Beast and Supersize Me (aka Woz at loose head & Keiran 2nd row) who have been called into the Coventry & Mid Warwickshire RFU side to play Rugby & District RFU (we think) on Wednesday 8th April 7:15pm at Keresley. |
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COVENTRIANS RFC 2008/9
A new season is about to begin with 3 trial games booked in August, with Coventrians hosting Dunlop, Earlsdon and Old Wheats as from 16 th August. Hopefully we will have a full squad attending those games, so that we will be battle hardened by the time we entertain Evesham for our first league game at the higher standard in early September.
Once more we are indebted for the continuing sponsorship by Coventry Aquatics for the forthcoming season with new kit and leisurewear being available as from Sept.
Mitch and the coaching team have been busy in the close season preparing for the law changes and a greater emphasis on teamwork and fitness. Please ensure you support him by attending at least 1 of the 3 weekly training sessions.
The 2 nd XV are now also in a highly competitive league of 12, with the likes of Broadstreet, Kenilworth and Leamington 3 rd XVs, so we will need to be highly motivated against quality opposition.
Mitch has also set up links with local schools so that we can develop a junior section, initially U12 and U13s with Tom Carter taking on the role of head coach for this section. Tom will need all the help possible in making this venture a resounding success, so he will be looking for volunteers to help in administration and coaching. If anybody can be of help please speak to the sports committee.
We also need to sell advertising boards around the 1 st XV pitch. If you know of any Company that may be interested, speak to Steve Springate.
Finally congratulations to John and Jane, who now have 5 teams competing in the local junior leagues as Coventrians FC, for the forthcoming season on Sundays.
May I wish all teams at the Black Pad a hugely successful season.
Steve Springate
