Bedford Blues sealed their first victory of the new year with a thoroughly entertaining 38-31 victory over old rivals, Coventry at Goldington Road to cement second place in Champ Rugby.
3,198 fans were present to witness a see-saw game that saw Bedford outscore Coventry by five tries to four, but the Blues were grateful for an early yellow card for Coventry in the second half that saw them score a key 17 points with a man advantage.
The Blues were looking to begin a brand new unbeaten run after losing a 28-year best record with defeat at Chinnor last weekend, while Coventry were back in action for the first time in 23 days following a New Year’s Day triumph against Cornish Pirates.
Read: Bedford Blues lose ten game unbeaten run at in-form Chinnor
A year to the day that a James Fish try secured a 27-23 win against one of the nation’s oldest clubs for just the second time in the 2020s, a similarly – and predictably – tight clash ticked all the right boxes with entertainment matching the positive result for Mike Rayer’s charges.
Two sides trade blows in fast start
The first five minutes were dominated by the away side, and their possession was rewarded with a sixth-minute converted score for Senitiki Nayalo, who rolled off the back of a driving maul to dive over in the far corner of Goldington Road.
The Blues’ first attack also put them on the board for the first time; Alex Day orchestrating a lot of fast ball for the home side that eventually left Fred Tuilagi with the opportunity to crash through multiple tackles to level the scores.
It was the fast start that a fixture of this magnitude deserved, and Coventry were the ones to edge ahead once more after 18 minutes, as fast hands ended with Chester Owen walking in the simplest of tries.
Most of the Coventry attacks were played out with scintillating speed down their left wing, fronted by Morgan Adderly-Jones and full back, Tom Bacon and it was starting to become too hot to handle for a Blues defence bereft of ideas.
Coventry’s third try went through the hands towards the far side of the ground, but when the ball was eventually played inside, there waited captain Jordan Poole, who benefited from an excellent offload from Aristot Benz-Salomon, extending the lead to 21-7.
Again, Bedford hit back with admirable pace of their own, and it took just two phases from the lineout to do it, as Rory Ward burst through more weak tackling on the try line to reduce the deficit to seven points.
An injury for Coventry fly half, Josh Thomas punctured the fast-paced action with the half drawing to a close, but once the clash resumed, so did the try scoring as the visitors gained their bonus point with a try for Jack Shine.
The conversion from Thomas’ replacement, Tommy Matthews left Coventry 14 points ahead, but there was still time for Bedford to remain on their heels as Oisin Heffernan bundled over near the posts with the last play of the half to leave the scoreline 28-21 to Coventry at the interval.
Yellow card proves costly
The next try was of huge importance, and Bedford came out on the front foot, with the try line evading Hutler on two separate occasions in the opening ten minutes of the second half.
Then came the game’s turning point, as Coventry’s Dafydd Rhys-Tiueti was sin-binned for a high tackle on Louis James.
It would cost Alex Rae’s side hugely as they gave up a lead that they would never get back.
The levelling try came from the resulting penalty, with Will Maisey converting his own score to earn the Blues a bonus point, and with Coventry tempers flaring, another penalty led to Bedford’s fifth try, finished off with aplomb by Fyn Brown.
A Maisey penalty extended the lead to 38-28, as the Blues scored 17 points within the ten minutes of Rhys-Tiueti’s sin-bin, and only David Opoku-Fordjour’s last man tackle stopped Day scoring more as Bedford stepped on the gas.
Bedford were pressing for the game-clinching try, with Michael Le Bourgeois coming close, but with most of the territory, Mike Rayer’s side looked in control.
Even when Coventry did get hands on the ball, their decision making was becoming increasingly wasteful.
The ten-point advantage meant the Blues could manage the game out, with Coventry unable to penetrate enemy lines with any gumption, as set pieces dominated the final ten minutes with the clock ticking down.
It was perfect for Bedford, but a penalty for Matthews on 78 minutes created some nervy final moments, although Coventry were unable to capitalise as the Blues sealed a compelling 38-31 triumph.
The five points in the Champ Rugby bank leaves the Blues over a win away from their nearest rivals, third-placed Worcester Warriors, who lost at home to the Blues’ next opponents in Hartpury, who rise to fourth.
Coventry remain fifth, with Chinnor in behind in sixth after a narrow Friday night loss to champions-elect, Ealing while Nottingham and Cornish Pirates were among the other winners in Round 14.
Bedford Blues return to action on Saturday, 31 January with a tricky trip to Gloucestershire to face Hartpury, before returning to Goldington Road under the Friday night floodlights, as they welcome Bedfordshire rivals, Ampthill on the first weekend of February.
