Fangatapu Apikotoa happy with Coventry rfc spirit
By Brian Dick, Coventry Telegraph
April 22 2010
COVENTRY talisman Fangatapu Apikotoa has put his burgeoning form down to improved team spirit and better tactics. The fly-half scored all of Cov’s points in the win over Moseley a fortnight ago and another 18 in the 38-35 victory at Bees last Sunday. He also set up a try for Phil MacKenzie and was a constant threat with his sniping runs and ability to stay on his feet.
Indeed it has been virtually impossible to tell the 26-year-old played both games with two cracked ribs, an injury he will have strapped before this Saturday’s latest relegation derby at Moseley.
Victory would guarantee Championship rugby for another year and even defeat in their penultimate game would not be terminal with Rotherham to come to Butts Park on the final day.
But the Tongan play-maker is not thinking about anything other than another four or five points, particularly given Cov’s end of season renaissance.
“We are just looking to win the last two games, that’s our target. We can win every game now,” Apikotoa said.
“At Bees we turned up really confident, so confident. We made the Bees game our final, if we had lost it that would have been it for us.
“But we are playing with spirit now, after training we stay together and eat together to build the team spirit.
“I never thought we were going to lose the game, not even when they were 28-10 up. I just believed from that start that we were going to beat Bees.”
That faith stems from a tactical switch that has seen the fly half play in a much more attacking position.
Although Coventry have had to reorganise their backline to accommodate the ambitions of the former Tautahi Gold midfielder, they have been amply rewarded.
“I feel free to play my own game now,” he said. “Before I just stuck to something else but now I am just doing what I do best.
“The coaches have changed a few things and I can carry the ball more and try to stay strong.”
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From watching a video of the SXR game the other day, it was very obvious that the spirit among the squad is at a highpoint. Just to see the sheer elation of the players at the final whistle made that perfectly clear.
Does anyone doubt their commitment now?
Whatever Rosie is putting in their half-time tea needs patenting too....
