Blaydon 21 – Coventry 16

[match id=91]

On paper it was second off bottom versus second from top but Blaydon belied their lowly league position to grab a well deserved first win of the season.

They got off to a cracking start, scoring after just 3 minutes and then defended magnificently when Coventry ran at them with an abundance of possession. By mid-way through the second period Coventry, who had scored 18 tries and 143 points in their first 4 games so far rarely looked like breaking through and Blaydon with two more tries went on to open their account in style.

A delighted Director of Rugby, Micky Ward, said afterwards “They are a good side and we knew it was going to be tough but the defence held solid and with a couple of good carries the lads grew in confidence”.

The start could not have been bettered with winger Sean Brown using good line-out ball to break clear from his own half to race into the 22,hauled down inches short. Coventry were then pushed off their own ball at the scrum and from a Blaydon put-in Jonny Burn shipped it out to Tom Jeffery who touched down near the posts and Andrew Baggett added the extras.

The visitors then retained possession for long spells but without ever looking likely to pierce a resolute Blaydon defence had only reduced their deficit at the interval by 2 Cliff Hodgson penalties.

Hodgson put his side in front for the only time with another penalty 8 minutes into the second period but Blaydon began to assume control. They won a scrum against the head in the Coventry 22 and then a penalty from which Burn took a quick tap and Jason Smithson finished it off, Baggett converting.

From another short scrum on 63 minutes Baggett made a half break only to be held up but when the forwards piled in Chris Wearmouth picked up and dived over.

Baggett’s third conversion made it 21-9 and there was no way back for the visitors although they did gain consolation and a bonus point with a breakaway try by their scrum-half Louis Silver in time added on.

John Brennan