By Paul Smith 
Brave Coventry’s seven-match unbeaten start to the season came to an end when Premiership champions Northampton battled their way to a 10-19 cup win in front of a Butts Park Arena record crowd.
Coventry scored a try in each half through the outstanding Matt Kvesic and arch poacher Ryan Hutler but critically conceded a long-distance, against-the-run-of-play first-quarter score to Saints’ full back George Hendy.
Northampton then went to the top of Premiership Rugby Cup qualifying pool B through a clinical display that combined resolute, well-organised defence with a powerful lineout maul that delivered match-clinching second-half scores for Curtis Langdon and Chunya Munga.
Despite the setback, Cov also remain very much in the quarter-final picture as a result of away wins previously claimed at Nottingham and Leicester.
Alex Rae’s team can also look back with huge pride at a committed display in which they went toe-to-toe with their illustrious opponents for the majority of an enthralling old-style game of rugby played in pouring rain which did nothing to dampen the enthusiasm of 5202 spectators.
Playing with the wind Coventry dominated the opening 20 minutes territorially but due to a combination of outstanding Northampton defence and their own inaccuracy were unable to get on the scoreboard.
The hosts twice created good attacking opportunities deep inside Saints’ 22 only to overthrow the ensuing lineout and they also lost possession in midfield after David Opoku’s athleticism kept a Tommy Mathews cross-kick in play.
It was therefore against the run of play when Hendy gathered Mathews’ grubber inside his own 22, broke two tackles and showed the chasing pack a clean pair of heels from fully 80 metres to claim a try that George Makepeace-Cubitt converted.
Cov’s fourth visit to the visitors’ 22 again failed to yield any points but they did eventually open their account after Josh Barton’s quick tap was sent wide and after Opoku got to within a metre Kvesic regathered and forced his way over.
A half dominated by defences ended with the home side denying Saints’ attempted lineout drive then a crunching tackle which forced a midfield turnover.
This meant the Premiership champions turned to play with the elements holding a two-point lead but they were quickly behind for the first time when Hutler twice beat opponents to well-placed Barton kicks then raced over for his fifth try of the season.
With experienced forwards Langdon, Trevor Davison and Angus Scott-Young now on the field Saints won a string of penalties that gave them field position inside the home 22 from where they shunted substitute Iyogun over for their second try.
After Makepeace-Cubitt added the extras, a superb Tom James kick then won the defending English champions a 50:22 from which they extended their advantage by driving Langdon over from another well-organised lineout.
Saints pressed hard for the bonus point that might prove important when qualification is decided in February only for Opoku to round off a fine display with an adept piece of cover defence that kept Cov’s line intact.
Coventry: Robson (Martin 48); Hutler (Lane 62), Tiueti, Hitchcock, Opoku; Mathews, Barton; Nairau (Warren 2), Poole (Ma’asi 49), Johnson (Salt 62); Nkwocha (Tyas 29), Nayalo (Owen 62); Ball (Anstey 53), Hinkley, Kvesic.
Northampton: Hendy; Ramm (Glister 56), Litchfield (Savala 68), Hutchinson, Seabrook; Makepeace-Cubitt, McParland (James 56); Haffar (Iyogun 49), Wright (Langdon 49), Green (Davison 49); Lockett, Munga; Pearson, Pollock (Thornbury 68), Augustus (Scott-Young 68)
Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys
Half-Time: Coventry Rugby 5-7 Northampton
Attendance: 5202
Scorers:
Coventry:
Tries: Kvesic (28), Hutler (50)
Conversions:
Penalties:
Northampton:
Tries: Hendy (13), Iyogun (58), Langdon (63)
Conversions: Makepeace-Cubitt (13) (58)
Penalties:
