Coventry 57 - 12 Heriot's: Heriot's toil as Coventry claim nine-try triumph

Published on Friday 27 November 2009 22:51

HERIOT'S endured a torrid night at the Butts Park Arena as Coventry turned on the style in a scintillating first half to lay the foundations for an emphatic nine-try British & Irish Cup victory.

It was all over as a contest by half-time as Coventry crossed the line six times to secure a 38-0 lead, and though Heriot's showed more as an attacking force after the break they could have no complaints at the final outcome. Half-backs James Thomas – who had an outstanding full debut before being replaced at the break – and Mike Walls ran the show behind a dominant Coventry pack in the first half, and they had their four-try bonus point wrapped up inside half an hour.

Coventry made a flying start on their way to a 38-0 half-time lead, going ahead after five minutes following an impressive scrum drive into the Heriot's 22. The visitors went offside and Mike Walls took a quick penalty which ended with winger Simon Frewin crossing on the left.

James Thomas converted twice in three minutes from a wide angle and was on the mark three minutes later when, from another quickly-taken penalty, prop Scott Roberts popped up in the centre and dummied his way through the cover and he to cross between the posts. Thomas claimed and converted the third try on 17 minutes when Coventry stole the ball at a Heriot's line-out 30 metres out, before the home pack shoved the opposition eight over the line at a close-range scrum for Henno Venter to touch down.

Thomas duly converted to extend the gap to 28-0.

Roberts stretched over the line for his second try as the home forwards combined from a line-out before centre Phil Mackenzie went over from 35 meters showed his pace to go over from 35 metres for a superb individual try.

Heriot's gained some respite five minutes after the restart when David McCall ran in a try from 40 metres but Graham Wilson missed the conversion. Coventry's seventh try followed for Ollie Winter, and prop Rob Dugard made it eight as the game dipped into the final quarter when the pack mauled its way over the line from a line-out, Joe Carlisle's conversion bringing up the half century. Heriot's loose forwards upped their game but, but although David Askew was sent to the sin bin for going into a ruck from the side, Coventry cleared the danger and Dugard then intercepted as Heriot's tried to run the ball out of their own 22 to send in Louis McGowan for the final home try, Carlisle converting.

Heriot's had the last word when replacement scrum-half Richard Tran just made it over the line from a tap penalty and Colin Goudie converted.

Coventry: Winter (Grove 60); Frewin, J Lewis (Locke 60), Mackenzie, Hurrell; Thomas (Carlisle 40), Walls; Roberts (Davis 40), McMillan (Merrigan 57), Hall (Dugard 57), Brenton (Dechartres 57), McGowan, Herrington, Askew, Venter.

Heriot's: N Alston (J Alston 60); Goudie, McCall, Elliott, Roberts; Hutton, Wilson (Tran 76); Dymock (Bryce 40), Mustard (Owenson 76), Blacklock, O'Connor, Reid (Wallace 76), Van Niekerk (Osazuwa 36), Mason, Hill.

Referee: A Rogan (Irish RFU).