Bedford Blues are in to next Sunday’s Champ Rugby play-off final after an exquisite second half display saw them thrash Coventry 58-24 in a party atmosphere at Goldington Road on Friday night (22 May).
Fighting back from a 12-10 deficit at the break, the Blues scored six second half tries to punish a beleagured Coventry side to secure their spot in the division’s showpiece event next weekend.
They will face either Ealing Trailfinders or Worcester Warriors who face off in the second semi-final on Saturday.
For the first time in recent memory, English rugby’s second tier has a play-off system, and both Bedford Blues and Coventry had reached its semi-finals courtesy of a top four finish.
The Blues’ 18 wins from 26 regular season games ensured they finished second, guaranteeing a home semi-final, while third-placed Coventry have reached this stage thanks to a tight 28-25 victory against Hartpury in last weekend’s quarter finals.
The oldest of rivals, with their first encounter 132 years ago in 1894, both Bedford and Coventry know each other intimately, but rarely in a one-off semi-final scenario. Their last semi-final game was over half a century ago.
Bedford Blues came out on top in 1975 in a low-scoring, cagey encounter.
There was nothing cagey about the final Friday night lights of the season, as the Blues blew their opponents away in a second half that will live long in the memory.
Yo-yo first half ends with Coventry in front
Coventry started by far the better and were rewarded with a try in the third minute.
Aided by the first of a pair of lacklustre early lineouts from James Fish, the ball made its way out wide and then back in field, allowing scrum half Sam Maunder to bundle home the game’s first try.
The Blues hit back with a penalty from Will Maisey after eight minutes – the first of his 28 points on the night – but only excellent work on his own try line from Alex Woolford stopped the visitors doubling their try count, and Bedford made them pay.
Intercepting a pass just inside the Coventry half, Ryan Hutler was allowed to run in under the posts with freedom, allowing Maisey the luxury of a simple conversion, putting Bedford 10-5 in front.
It was a lead that felt a touch undeserved, with Coventry breaking through the line with ease thanks in large to the excellent Morris, and following an uncharacteristic penalty miss from centre field by Maisey, Coventry were afforded the chance to get back in front.
Jack Reeves was the man to score the try, once again breaking through tackles, with Josh Thomas adding the simple extras from under the posts.
One facet that the Blues were dominating was the scrum; consistently winning penalties in dangerous positions, and a smart line out move almost allowed Oisin Heffernan to scramble over only for the referee to call a knock on at the last.
It would be the first of two agonisingly close calls for prop.
Coventry went into the break ahead, but were mere millimetres from not doing so as Heffernan dropped the ball with the try line at his mercy, before Maisey’s offload to Dean Adamson came a moment too late before the fly half stepped on to the whitewash.
It was the final act of a nerve-shredding first half, in which the visitors finished narrowly in front at 10-12.
Blues blitz see Bedford soar clear
So far, it was the tight affair many had expected, but one thing it was not was cagey; an attribute of the clash that played right into Bedford’s hands and saw them obliterate Coventry in a stunning second half.
Within two minutes of the restart, Bedford were ahead as Maisey pinged his second successful penalty through the posts, but by the 50-minute mark, Goldington Road had exploded with delight.
First, superb work from Adamson on the left wing, which involved executing a cute chip for himself, allowed the winger to excellently offload inside to Hutler, who dotted down his second try of the night.
Maisey’s conversion put Bedford 20-12 ahead, but direct from the kick off, Adamson collected and was once again racing clear, and despite an away shirt standing in his way, he was allowed to pass a simple ball inside to Alex Day to run in under the posts.
It gave Bedford a 15-point buffer, increased to 18 with a third Maisey penalty, and within 12 second half minutes, the game had turned on its head with the Blues 30-12 in front.
On the 56-minute mark, Coventry got a score back as Reeves scored his own second of the night, collecting a grubber from Maunder, but again Bedford hit back immediately.
Woolford was at the forefront, charging down a kick from Tom Bacon, allowing Archie Benson the chance to crash over the Blues’ fourth try, while a further score from Maisey put the home side heavily in the ascendency at 44-19.
The tries kept coming; first for Toby Thame and then for perennial try scorer, Adamson – his 23rd of the league season – as Coventry’s defence unravelled and Bedford Blues sprinted towards the finish line.
It was a second half attacking display unlike many others seen at Goldington Road, and while the final ten minutes lacked the try-scoring intensity of the previous 30, the Blues had done more than enough to score a special place in next Sunday’s final.
A consolation try for Coventry was the final play in a scintillating semi-final that will go down in Goldington Road folklore, finishing 58-24 to the Blues.
The season comes to an exciting climax on Sunday, 31 May as the Blues will contest a play-off final against either Worcester Warriors, who they have beaten twice this season already, or Ealing who are attempting to complete a 100% perfect season.
Either way, the Blues can be proud of another excellent campaign, with the Bedford faithful heading home with more smiles on their faces.
Ealing vs Worcester kicks off at 16:00 on Saturday, 23 May.
