News

REPORT | Blues battle hard but suffer defeat to Coventry

Posted: 11th February 2023

A dignified and spirited second half performance wasn’t enough to turn the scoreboard back in Bedford Blues’ favour as Coventry held on to secure a 33-24 victory in Round Five of the Championship Cup.

There were some unbelievable scores from Mike Rayer’s side again, there always is, but they were made to pay for a sluggish opening 40 minutes that ultimately gave them too big a mountain to climb as their long winless run at Butts Park Arena continued for another season.

Blues were facing an uphill battle from the moments Suva Ma’asi scored twice to put Coventry 14-0 to the good inside the opening 20 minutes.

Stupid mistakes at critical junctures were halting Blues’ advances in those opening 40 minutes and they were largely wasteful in the opposition 22m, including being pinged for foul play when throwing an opposition boot away.

But they did construct the first half’s best passage of play when Jake Garside cut the deficit.

Fortune ultimately favoured the brave as Blues decided to tap and go from inside their own half, spreading the ball wide initially before coming back inside as Louis Grimoldby cut through the heart of the defence and set Jake Garside away from 40m.

Further scores by Coventry’s Tobi Wilson and captain Tom Ball saw them extend their advantage before the break and secure the bonus point score, leading 26-5 at the break.

Blues were much improved in the second half, and a penalty try aside, dominated the play and came mightily close to causing an upset that hadn’t seemed plausible at HT.

Tui Uru was yellow carded for his involvement in Coventry’s solitary score but Blues looked resolute in defence throughout that period and stemmed the tide, throwing counter punches and fighting with intensity to score three really well worked tries and cut the gap.

Garside got a second before Sean French and Jack Hughes both continued their rich veins of scoring form; French’s try arguably the pick of the bunch with a simply outrageous assist from Michael Le Bourgeois and a gravity defying dive in the corner.

Lots to play in the final Cup fixture as Blues look to continue their unbeaten record at Goldington Road. Buy tickets and join us for the BIG game here.

Teams

BEDFORD BLUES

15. Matt Worley, 14. Sean French, 13. Jamie Elliott (C) (58'), 12. Ethan Grayson, 11. Pat Tapley (58'), 10. Louis Grimoldby (58'), 9. Jake Garside; 1. Lewis Holsey (50'), 2. Aston Gradwick-Light (50'), 3. Ed Prowse (50'), 4. Robin Williams, 5. Emeka Atuanya (58'), 6. Luke Frost, 7. Charles Rylands, 8. Kieran Curran (50')

Replacements

16. Jack Hughes (50'), 17. Monty Royston (50'), 18. Corrie Barrett (50'), 19. Tui Uru (50'), 20. Jac Arthur (58'), 21. Alex Day (58'), 22. Will Maisey (58'), 23. Michael Le Bourgeois (58')

COVENTRY

15. Tobi Wilson (51'), 14. Shea Cornish, 13. Will Rigg, 12. Lucas Titherington (66'), 11. Louis James, 10. Evan Mitchell, 9. Will Lane (56'); 1. Jamie Jack (51'), 2. Suva Ma'asi (51'), 3. Jake Bridges (61'), 4. James Tyas, 5. George Smith, 6. Adam Peters, 7. Tom Ball (C), 8. Senitiki Nayalo (56')

Replacements:

16. Will Biggs (51'), 17. Toby Trinder (51'), 18. Henry Pearson (61'), 19. Josh Bainbridge (56'), 20. James Martin (51'), 21. Joe Snow (56'), 22. Fin Ogden, 23. Will Wand (66')