The naked info state that Coventry Rugby returned to the highest of the Championship desk by recording a fourth consecutive bonus level win by means of their six-try success at London Scottish.
However this tells solely a fraction of the story a couple of contest by which the outcome was doubtful till house fly half Conor Slevin’s final kick of the sport from 43 metres drifted throughout the face of Cov’s posts.
With their scrum on prime and their lineout posing loads of issues for the Exiles, the guests may have been out of sight on the finish of a gap half throughout which Ryan Hutler crossed twice and centres Will Wand and Will Rigg scored a strive apiece.
Nevertheless, Cov additionally conceded two charge-down tries to lock Matas Jurevecius plus a 3rd to full again Luke Mehson once they did not take care of a cross-field kick and in consequence Scottish solely trailed 17-28 on the break.
The second half was a completely totally different story because the Exiles spent lengthy durations in Cov territory. A brace of Tom Marshall scores gave them a 31-28 benefit earlier than tries for visiting forwards Jordon Poole and Paddy Ryan had been break up by a Will Trenholm landing throughout a 15-minute spell which noticed the lead change palms thrice.
As Scottish restarted for a last time two minutes remained – and when Cov infringed on the bottom Slevin narrowly missed with a last-gasp likelihood to clinch the spoils and carry his staff’s hopes of escaping the foot of the desk.
After Cov loved loads of possession within the early levels, the hosts took the lead once they recovered a tapped-down excessive kick and despatched Mehson racing over.
However the blue-and-whites quickly appeared in management after Hutler utilized the completion to a protracted spell of continuity then Wand raced over from a Pellegrini inside ball as Cov attacked with benefit.
Though dual-registered Harlequins’ lock Jurevecius then charged down Will Lane’s tried clearance and regathered to attain, Cov despatched Hutler over for his 13th strive of the season following a lineout steal and a protracted go from Pellegrini.
And when the blue-and-whites opted to faucet a penalty and finally despatched Rigg barrelling over from shut vary they’d a bonus level on the board and seemingly management of the match forward of the half-hour mark.
However Jurevecius then repeated the dose when he charged Cov down on the base of a ruck and this time opened his legs from 45 metres to register a 3rd Scottish strive.
With Pellegrini touchdown 4 conversions whereas Slevin managed only one profitable kick the guests held a 17-28 interval benefit.
However a dominant third quarter from the house aspect then produced two transformed scores for no.8 Marshall. The primary adopted Cov’s failed fast drop-out try earlier than the concession of two fast penalties allowed the Exiles to place collectively a profitable lineout drive from deep contained in the guests’ 22.
A tense last quarter began with Poole claiming his fifth strive of the season from an equally well-constructed driving maul earlier than flanker Trenholm responded with the hosts’ sixth landing – upgraded by Slevin.
Trailing by 5 factors with 5 minutes to play, Cov stored their heads impressively to camp inside the house 22 and finally drive Ryan over for a strive which Pellegrini transformed.
This edged Alex Rae’s staff again forward, however the drama nonetheless had one other act to unfold after the guests’ forwards infringed on the bottom from the restart giving Slevin a win-or-bust alternative from 43 metres.
Coventry Rugby: Wilson; Hutler, Wand, Rigg, Martin; Pellegrini, Chudley; Chilvers, Poole, Nairau; Tyas, Nkwocha; Ryan, Kvesic, Nayalo
Replacements: Biggs, Southworth, Salt, Anstey, Ball, Lane, James, Bartlett.
London Scottish: Mehson, Brown, Hyde, Simonds, Ferdinand; Slevin, Regulation; Osborne, Wallis, Charlambous; Jurevecius, Ransom; Trenholm, Barrett, Marshall
Replacements: Head, Prior, Hobson, Browne, Ingall, Nutton, Lloyd-Seed, McCallum
Scorers:
London Scottish:
Tries: Mehson, Jurevecius (2), Marshall (2), Trelawn
Cons: Slevin (4)
Pens:
Coventry Rugby:
Tries: Hutler (2), Wand, Rigg, Poole, Ryan
Cons: Pellegrini (5)
Pens: