Bristol 40 Coventry 15

ANOTHER defeat for Coventry, but they left the Memorial Ground with heads held high after a much improved performance against British & Irish Cup hosts, and Championship leaders, Bristol. Recovering from a dreadful start, Cov were always chasing the game but made the home side look distinctly uncomfortable at times and played their full part in proceedings with an effort which the size

of the final scoreline failed to reflect.

Despite cancelling out Bristol’s two early tries and scoring a third after the break, Cov’s inability to turn other opportunities into points came back to bite them as the hosts weathered a first-half storm to pull away again after the break.

But the mood at the final whistle was a lot more upbeat than after Wednesday’s defeat by Doncaster, and a number of players in a changed side enhanced their claims for a place in Cov’s first-choice line-up for the relegation play-offs with Canadian international No.8 Aaron Carpenter outstanding.

It looked ominous for the visitors as the home side blasted into a 12-0 lead inside the first ten minutes, flanker James Merriman capitalising on a Cov overthrow at a line-out to run in from 30 metres for a try which Chris Ashwin converted before centre Jack Adams finished off a backs move with a second touchdown.

To their credit, Cov regrouped and – with the breeze behind them – dominated the rest of the half to go into the break just two points behind and perhaps a little unfortunate not to be in front as a ruffled Bristol defence conceded yellow cards for Darren Barry and Iain Grieve.

Carpenter picked up at a five-metre scrum to put Ben Pons over for a try at the end of the first quarter, and the No.8 claimed Cov’s second score himself from another scrum on a run down the short side to the right corner.

Fangatapu Apikotoa missed both conversions, and Cov could also look at a number of lost opportunities from close-in line-outs and scrums before luckless winger Kurt Johnson was clipped just short of the line after a lovely break by Tommy Hayes. The third quarter proved decisive as Bristol came back out in determined mood and reeled off tries through England Academy prop Mako Vunipola and Merriman again, both converted by Ashwin, but Cov responded with a well-taken try by Chris Lewis following a midfield break by Apikotoa.

Cov infringed once too often defending a series of scrums near their line for referee Rohan Kitt’s liking, resulting in a penalty try which replacement Sam Giddens converted, and after another Carpenter break into the home 22 had come to nothing, Bristol added a flattering gloss to the final score with a try from winger George Watkins and Giddens conversion four minutes into added time.

Bristol: tries Merriman 2 (7, 51), Adams (9), Vunipola (47), penalty try (67), Watkins (80); conversions Ashwin 3 (7, 47, 51), Giddens 2 (67, 80).

Coventry: tries Pons (20), Carpenter (33), Lewis (57).

Bristol: Tovey; Eves, Adams, Fatialofa (Gadd 53), Watkins; Ashwin (Giddens 60), Alford (Shaw 60); Vunipola (Clarke 71), Johnston (Blaney h-t), Thompson (Crompton 58), Barry, Winters, Miller, Merriman, Grieve (Glynn 58).

Coventry: Apokotoa; Johnson, Davies (Mackenzie 58), Lewis, Frewin; Hayes (Russell h-t), Walls (Frost 53); Dugard (Maddocks 48), Dwyer (McMillan 80), Roberts (Dugard 76), Dechartres, McGowan, Askew (Harrap 60), Pons (Venter 48), Carpenter.

Referee: R Kitt (RFU).