Match Report: Coventry Rugby 28-14 Chinnor

Inspired by a brace of Charlie Robson tries, Coventry maintained their perfect start to the 2024/25 Championship season by claiming a 28-14 bonus point round four win over first-time rivals Chinnor.

But Alex Rae’s team were first pushed all the way by the newly-promoted visitors who created plenty of chances but were only able to convert two of these opportunities into tries.

Robson touched down in both halves for the hosts for whom hooker Jordon Poole and the impressive Tom Hitchcock also claimed a try apiece while Liam Richman added four well-struck conversions.

Should Cov extend their winning run beyond next week’s testing trip to Caldy, they now know they will enter the Premiership Rugby Cup break not only at the top of the Championship table but also protecting the division’s only unbeaten record.

In the opening stages the visitors twice had throws to attacking lineouts deep inside the home 22 but on both occasions turned possession over in the face of some well-organised home defence.

It was therefore slightly against the run of play when Hitchcock broke from halfway and after exchanging passes with Jimmy Martin cruised over for a try that Richman converted.

Cov then failed to reclaim the restart but Chinnor again lost control at a five-metre attacking lineout after declining a simple kick at goal in favour of the five-point option.

And they were quickly punished for their inaccuracy as the hosts kept possession through multiple phases before Richman’s long pass sent Robson over for a superb score.

Cov’s Australian no.10 added the extras but their 14-point advantage was short-lived with Chinnor scrum-half Luke Carter dummying over for a try that Connor Slevin converted from their fourth close-range lineout.

It was developing into an absorbing contest with little between the sides and when Chinnor again threatened it required an excellent intervention on the ground from Matt Kvesic to halt their momentum.

When Martin poached an interception inside his own half he made 30 metres and found Josh Barton in support before the visiting cover quickly ended the opportunity.

Slevin’s chip ahead was then superbly gathered by James Bourton but when the ball went wide Chinnor lost it forward deep inside the home 22 in the wide channels.

This left Coventry with a seven-point interval advantage and they piled pressure on the Chinnor line immediately after the restart only to spill possession under the visitors’ posts.

But the home side did soon have their third score after skipper Poole applied the finishing touch to a well-executed lineout drive to claim a try that Richman again improved with his third well-struck kick of the day.

A tremendous piece of last-ditch defence by Robson kept the home line intact when it seemed inevitable that Kieran Goss would score and the visitors’ left winger was quickly denied for a second time by Hitchcock’s timely defensive intervention.

Cov could have sealed the game with 15 minutes remaining when David Opoku pinched an interception only for Fin Ogden to be unable to hold his offload with the line beckoning.

But the young replacement scrum-half quickly made amends by identifying space behind the Chinnor backs and landing a perfectly-weighted kick that Robson gathered and took under the posts for a score that Richman upgraded.

Chinnor again went close through Morgan Passman who was upended close to the home line by Opoku but they continued to apply pressure and eventually had the last word by working the big centre into the corner for a try that Slevin improved.

Line-Ups:

Coventry: Robson; Hutler, Tiueti, Hitchcock, Martin (Opoku 55); Richman, Barton (Ogden 58); Trinder (Warren 50), Poole (Ma’asi 50), Nairau (Salt 50); Nkwocha, Anstey (Tyas 55); Ball, Kvesic (Hinkley 50), Nayalo (Owen 58)

Chinnor: Feeney; Hughes (Rokodrava 52), Passman, Bourbon, Goss (Smith 64); Slevin, Carter (Pascoe 52); Lines (Clarke 52), Walker (Moore 54), Hardwick (Hoyt 54); Brockschmidt (North 45), Shaw; Dugmore (Stokes 58), Wharton, Ryan

Referee: Joe James

Half-Time: Coventry Rugby 7-14 Chinnor

Attendance: 3197

Scorers:

Coventry:

Tries: Hitchcock (13), Robson (20) (67), Poole (49)

Conversions: Richman (13) (20) (49) (67)

Chinnor:

Tries: Carter (24), Passmore (80)

Conversions: Slevin (24) (80)