Coventry RFC 2019/20 season (6 Viewers)

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
Thought we ought to have a new thread for the new season.

CRFC have got off to a great start after losing their first match in Jersey they have won the next two and sit second in the table. Early days but looks like they will be competing at the right end of the table this season.

Not expecting them to win the division, it is probably a little too soon for them to get promoted (in terms of the squad they have and the set up they are putting in place) . But good progress so far

But all seems positive at CFRC :)

Greene King IPA Championship Table - Rugby Union - BBC Sport
 

Razzle Dazzle Dean Gordon

Well-Known Member
Who are favoured to do well this season? I'd presume Newcastle are favourites but are Ealing, Pirates and Nottingham some of the bigger teams in that division too?
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
Who are favoured to do well this season? I'd presume Newcastle are favourites but are Ealing, Pirates and Nottingham some of the bigger teams in that division too?
Yes, Newcastle with their large parachute, and Ealing with their very wealthy owner's largesse and ambition have to be favourites (in that order).
Penzance should be the other top three side having benefitted greatly from the Leeds implosion.
Don't think Nottm will be much above mid-table, and would expect Cov to slot in just above them.
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
Cov make seven changes to the starting lineup for tomorrows tough test at Ealing.
I'd say they're shuffling the pack with a view to slowing Ealing early doors (they have a reputation for starting like whippets and piling up a big score, before tailing off noticeably). If Rowland Winter has called it right, it could be interesting.
If he's called it wrong, I still expect England to be World Champs by then...
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
Squad:
15 James Stokes; 14 Rob Knox, 13 Heath Stevens, 12 Rory Jennings, 11 Max Trimble; 10 Will Maisey, 9 Tom Kessell; 1 James Gibbons, 2 Darren Dawidiuk, 3 Gareth Denman, 4 Nile Dacres, 5 Alex Woolford, 6 Adam Peters, 7 Luke Wallace, 8 Ryan Burrows (capt)

16 Joe Buckle, 17 Toby Trinder, 18 Phil Boulton, 19 Senitiki Nayalo, 20 Jack Ram, 21 Pete White, 22 Tony Fenner, 23 David Halaifonua

That's a back row that can turn over lots of ball.
Interesting that Stokes continues to get the nod over Tongan World Cup returnee Halaifonua at full back, but given Stokes' four tries last Sunday, not too surprising I suppose.
Very strong bench too.
 

OffenhamSkyBlue

Well-Known Member
Drew 28 : 28 that's a very decent result especially after going 14 nil down. Cov have come a long way in a year last time they played Ealing (Oct 2018) they lost 60 :25

REPORT: Ealing Trailfinders 28-28 Coventry Rugby
Being 28-14 down and coming back to 28-all at Ealing is a massive indicator of their will to win, whereas they've folded before, as OldSB says! Can't see them overhauling Falcons though - the two head-to-heads will be key.
 

pusbccfc

Well-Known Member
Imagine if Cov played Wasps...

Surely a big crowd?
 

Gynnsthetonic

Well-Known Member
If they were to play each other, would love the game at the Ricoh to attract 10000 plus Cov fans pitched against the 2000 Wasps fans.
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
Tough game coming up on Sunday. Newcastle Falcons who are top after relegation from the Premiership last season. But Cov are 3rd and no reason to think they cant give a good account of themselves
 

oldskyblue58

CCFC Finance Director
Shows the gap between Premiership and championship is pretty big. Plenty of teams will be well beaten when they go to Newcastle (who still have the nucleus of their Premiership team). From what i can make out there was plenty of endeavour, effort & commitment from Cov.

Match report here
NEWCASTLE 46-7 COVENTRY RUGBY Match report – Coventry Rugby
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
whats the point of this league if only one team can win and its obv gonna be 6 wins from 6 newcastle?
Not much point at all - as it's stitched-up by PRL in cahoots with the RFU.
However, we live in hope that someone can break that stranglehold of the cabal eventually. Last one was London Welsh, who threw the financial kitchen sink at it, and failed, and went bust. However, Exeter did it previously and are still there and have topped the league at least twice.
It'll take another club with a great plan and incredible revenue streams from other than a rugby source to emulate that.
Jon Sharp has a plan..
 

covcity4life

Well-Known Member
Not much point at all - as it's stitched-up by PRL in cahoots with the RFU.
However, we live in hope that someone can break that stranglehold of the cabal eventually. Last one was London Welsh, who threw the financial kitchen sink at it, and failed, and went bust. However, Exeter did it previously and are still there and have topped the league at least twice.
It'll take another club with a great plan and incredible revenue streams from other than a rugby source to emulate that.
Jon Sharp has a plan..
just a shame as cov look quite good this season from what i can see! would be amazing to see them play wasps or better yet take their spot

can they meet in any cup competitons?
 

CJ_covblaze

Well-Known Member
What a guy!
EB61B154-9891-4D25-84AF-E132DE5E4BA3.jpeg
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
It goes to show what expectations are. I was kinda expecting about 2300 or more, so when JB announced 2067 or thereabouts I was a little disappointed. However, on reflection, with Ampthill bringing precisely two men and no dog, I suppose it's not bad. Nearby (to Amps) Bedford would probably have brought hundreds.
It's a steady recovery from a low of around a thousand a few years ago though, and I see it steadily going upwards in future.
Tries highlights btw if you've not yet viewed:
The audacious pass out the back door from Halaifonua to Knox was a thing of beauty (as was the resultant try).
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
Cov travel to Ealing tomorrow hoping for a couple of points to ensure a home tie in the M. Mouse Cup quarter finals.
Ealing have selected a rather odd (forwards-heavy - no pun) squad, which could hurt them should Cov break a few of their backs' legs, so could be interesting.
Marc McNulty's love-child Sam (who is also a hooker) gets a place on the bench for the first time this season, as does international full-back/wing David Halaifonua.
Overall it's a fairly strong-looking squad given the lack of interest from several other clubs, and could just crack it.
Normal rugby re-starts next Saturday vs Nottingham (and it's on the magic flickering Sky box).
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
Well, that didn't go to plan. The planned squad was disrupted by injuries (pre- and during) and was apparently well off-colour, and the game seemingly had similar refereeing quality to the city match.
An away trip for the quarter final then, sadly.
 

Kneeza

Well-Known Member
Anyone who thought promotion was on the cards this (or next) season is plainly deluded.
It was never even being considered.
 

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