Exeter Chiefs 42 - Coventry 15
Apr
The last home game of the season for the Chiefs came against Coventry with five points being imperative for Chiefs to guarantee their league number two spot going into the last game of the season. The away fixture, played on December 1 saw the Chiefs win what looked on the scoreboard like a comfortable 31-19 score. On that occasion, Coventry looked to be in for a hammering at half-time only to come out of the changing room to give Exeter a real game in the second half. And this game was no different with all the Chiefs’ points coming in the first half and Coventry effectively holding them at bay in the second.
Exeter, kicking with the breeze, got the game underway with Coventry returning a safe touch kick to just past halfway. Looking to establish early forward domination, Exeter chose to drive but were repelled with the ball coming out to the backs. At the next breakdown, Coventry were penalised at the breakdown and Adam Staniforth kicked to touch on the opposition’s 22. Exeter’s initial attack was thwarted when a forward pass by Staniforth gave Coventry the scrum. Under huge pressure at the scrum, Coventry cleared to just over halfway with the ball remaining infield and knocked on into the supporters’ Player of the Year Jason Luff’s hands. With no advantage accruing, the referee gave the scrum which Exeter lost and being aligned for attack watched as Coventry’s fly-half Dorian Myles glided through to score unopposed under the posts.
As is so often the case, this galvanised the home side and after a period of forward and back play combining with great ball handling, the grateful recipient of the last pass was full-back Gary Kingdom, who went over wide on the right. Just after the restart Exeter made the most of a disorganised defence with first Kingdom then Sean Marsden making great breaks to put Stephen Ward over for an unconverted try.
Things went from bad to worse for Coventry, who put the restart straight into touch. With Exeter unable to make anything of the scrum on halfway, Coventry managed to conjure a rare attack into Exeter’s half to concede their territory after being penalised. A great drive from Exeter pushed Coventry fully 15 metres at pace when the referee chose to penalise the visitors. Speed of foot and the strength of the forwards had Coventry on the rack and with a penalty for pulling down the maul already on the cards, the Chiefs drove Brett Sturgess over to score with Kingdom converting.
From the restart, a great break from Kevin Barrett put Luff into space. Luff chipped over Coventry’s full-back to see Barrett pick up and score with a Kingdom conversion. With 26 points in 23 minutes, the Chiefs’ faithful were prepared to forgive the players for their early misjudgement.
Coventry’s day was becoming a nightmare when their full-back kicked the ball straight to touch. Barrett took the throw in quickly and Exeter were again on the attack when a swinging arm from Coventry was lucky not to attract a yellow. From the penalty lineout, Exeter’ snow rampant pack surged over for another try accredited to Sam Blythe with Kingdom adding the extras again. In what was becoming a breathtaking display, the Exeter backline ripped apart the opposition with Ward scoring his second.
For once the restart went Coventry’s way and they mounted an attack, but with shellshock having its effect, they knocked on and Exeter mounted another attack finishing with Sean Marsden’s try converted by Kingdom.
In a rare incursion into home territory, Coventry made ground through their forwards with Exeter penalised for offside. Looking to emulate their early success, the visitors kicked to touch and attempted to drive the ball over several times until a fine tackle by Alan Miller saw them penalised for holding on. The first half ended 45-7.
With Kieran Geraghty and Chad Slade on for Ward and Richie Baxter, the Chiefs started the second half with as much energy as they had shown through much of the first. Only a knock on 10 metres out denied them a first minute try. But the second half was failing to live up to the first with errors from both sides culminating in Coventry prop David Maddocks sin-binned for a punch on Craig Dunlea.
The error count continued to rise with neither side able to gain a grip on the game. At last, running hard from the scrum, Exeter found themselves in Coventry’s red zone and gained a penalty that they opted to take as a five-metre scrum. Incredibly, with only seven men, Coventry struck against the head to break almost as far as their 10-metre line where they knocked on.
Some great attacking play from Exeter with a great touch from Marsden put the pack over the line for the referee to adjudge that the ball was held up. From the five-metre scrum, Exeter had a great scoring opportunity for Junior Fatialofa to literally knock on over the line.
It almost seemed that with the game sewn up, both sides had lost the will to play until Coventry conjured an unlikely try after 28 minutes of the second half via George Dixon This seemed to galvanise the Chiefs who came back with a vengeance and they produced a try-scoring opportunity when a move instigated by Luff saw them attacking on the right with Staniforth chipping over the defence for Marsden to tap back to Geraghty who passed to Kingdom. Kingdom’s grubber was just too powerful for him to gather as the ball went dead. The half ended soon after with five points in the bag despite the second half’s lack of points.
Teams:
Exeter Chiefs – Kingdom; Luff, Fatialofa, Ward (Geraghty 40mins), Marsden; Staniforth, Barrett (Stuart-Smith 69mins); Dunlea, Blythe (Jenkins 55mins), Sturgess (Parkes 55mins), Skelding (Stevenson 70mins), Bentley, Johnson, Alan Miller (Andy Miller 70mins), Richie Baxter (capt) (Slade 40mins).
Coventry – Russell (capt) (Perry 40mins); McLean, Dixon, Sanders, Cobden (Montague 66mins); Dorrian, Jones; Maddocks, Whitehead, Dugard, Gillanders, Nimmo, Venter (Whitehall 49-58mins), Clayton (Miller 64mins), McGlone.
Scorers:
Exeter Chiefs – Tries: Kingdom, Ward (2), Sturgess, Barrett, Blythe, Marsden; Cons: Kingdom (5).
Coventry – Tries: Myles, Dixon; Con: Russell.
Yellow card:
Maddocks
Attendance:
4,520
