Rugby: McKillop has praise for Heriot's despite mauling by Coventry

Published on Saturday 28 November 2009 10:02

HEAD coach Bob McKillop applauded the spirit of his injury-hit Heriot's squad after their 57-12 mauling in last night's British & Irish Cup pool game at Coventry.

Over-run by a rampant home pack in the first half and trailing 38-0, Heriot's kept their heads up and raised their game after the break to score two tries in a more even second period.

"I think it looked like professionals against amateurs in the first half, and I'm really pleased with the guts we showed out there to come back the way we did," said McKillop. "We were under pressure from a pack that's a lot bigger than any we see north of the Border and it could have gone two ways after the first half – either the floodgates could have opened or we could dig deep and get back into the game, which is what we did.

"We gave Nottingham a good fight in our first game, but I think tonight was a truer reflection of a Championship team from England playing a Premiership One side in Scotland and showed the gulf," he went on. "As amateurs it's quite tough for us to cope with the long injury list we have of 18 to 20 players and as a coach I have my reservations about the competition, but it's a good experience and the players love it.

"We played Coventry on an annual basis many seasons ago and had our cross-border friendly games, but this is a true test _ these games are competitive and this is something special to be involved in."

Coventry, who were 14-0 up after the first eight minutes, scored a total of nine tries with Heriot's replying through centre David McCall, on a 40-metre run to the corner down the right flank, and replacement scrum-half Richard Tarn who went over on the final whistle from a quickly-taken penalty, Colin Goudie adding the conversion.

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, Elliot, Roberts, Hutton, Wilson (Tran 76), Dymock (Bryce 40), Mustard (Owenson 76), Blacklock, O'Connor, Reid (Wallace 76), Van Nierkirk (Osazuwa 36), Mason, Hill.