The Scots made the brighter start, particularly through Oliver Duncan who rode a tackle for his sides first adventure into the 22. Coventry managed to clear but the Scots were soon back under pressure following a penalty. But once again the Cov defensive line held firm, captain Poole garnering the penalty. 

 Coventry was downwind of a stiff breeze in the first half gaining masses amounts of metres every time they opted to kick. Without enjoying the best of the opening 10, Coventry took the lead through a brilliant bit of handling from Benz-Salomon. The high ball which for the second time in the half proved difficult to handle for Scottish was won in the end by Matt Johnson just outside the Scot 22. With the defence scrambling Benz-Salomon found space to run into before offloading to Tommy Mathews who sent Shine over for the opener. 0-7

 A lapse in game management soon handed the initiative back. Api Bavadra was his own 22 and penalised. This allowed the hosts to kick to the corner and convert from close range. 5-7

 Cov responded well. A scrum penalty provided field position, and the forwards did the rest. Jordon Poole broke away to extend the lead. 5-14

The visitors began to take control, particularly at the lineout, stealing possession twice in quick succession. Pressure continued to build, and after a series of penalties and a sinbin for Scottish, Josh Barton reacted quickest to a tap-and-go to score in the corner. 5-19.

With momentum firmly theirs, Coventry struck again before the break. Another powerful carry from Poole set the platform, and he offloaded to Morgan Strong, who finished to cap a dominant spell.

5-26 at half-time. An important stop from a Scots maul on the 5m line sent the boys down the tunnel full of confidence and plenty of breathing room. Leading at the half would have been Rae’s pre match target given they’d be facing the breeze head on in the second account.

Facing into the wind, Coventry started the second half strongly. Continued scrum dominance forced another card for Scottish, and from the resulting pressure, Dan Green found space to cross. 10-26.

Suddenly the game opened up, with both sides trading quick scores. A spilled restart deep in Scottish territory allowed Coventry to capitalise, with Tom Bacon finishing well. 12-40. Scottish responded again through Tom Wilstead, keeping the scoreboard ticking. 17-40.

The pace settled slightly as both teams struggled for control, but Scottish remained dangerous. A couple of penalties invited them back into the 22, and they eventually crossed through Harry Clayton.

A special moment followed soon after. On debut, Taio Varndell picked up a loose ball inside his own 22 and sprinted the length to score under the posts. A dream introduction to senior rugby.

Scottish continued to battle, and a yellow card for Eliot Salt gave them another opportunity to apply pressure, but Coventry had the final say. In the closing moments, Jack Reeves produced a brilliant solo effort, weaving his way over to seal an impressive away performance. 29-54 the final score.

In a game played at high tempo and testing conditions, Coventry combined resilience with attacking quality to secure another impressive win in West London. While Scottish showed plenty of fight, Coventry’s ability to capitalise on key moments and a few bits of real individual brilliance, ensured they came out on top once again. That makes it five wins on the bounce for Alex Rae’s men as attention turns to Caldy at home over the Easter Weekend. We look forward to seeing as many of you there as possible.

Goal kicking

Tommy Mathews: 7/8

Tom Wilstead: 1/4

Try Scorers:

Coventry Rugby: Jack Shine (15’), Jordon Poole (23’), Josh Barton (37’), Morgan Strong (38’), Dan Green (45’), Tom Bacon (49’), Taio Varndell (71’), Jack Reeves (80’)

London Scottish Football Club: Harry Clayton (19’, 58’), Bailey random (47’), Tom Wilstead (54’), Vaughan Bentley (75’)

Line-ups:

Coventry Rugby: Aristot Benz-Salomon, Jordon Poole ©, Matt Johnson, Dan Green, Jack Shine, Allan Ferrie, Tom Ball, Morgan Strong, Josh Barton, Tommy Mathews, Api Bavadra, Morgan Adderly-Jones, Dafydd-Rhys Tiueti, David Opoku-Fordjour, Tom Bacon

Finishers: Murray Davidson, Keston Lines, Eliot Salt, Sam Harding, Mackenzie Graham, Sam Maunder, Jack Reeves, Taio Varndell

London Scottish Football Club: Will Prior, Harry Clayton, Osman Dimen, Matt Wilkinson, Theo Vukasinovic, Lewis Barret, Bailey Ransom ©, Oliver Duncan, Jonny Law, Tom Wilstead, Noah Ferdinand, Harry Sheppard, Alec Lloyd-Seed, Matt Gribbon, Jack Leslie

Finishers: Vaughan Bentley, Austin Hay, Ntinga Mpiko, Marijin Huis, Jake Spurway, Stephen Kerins, Fraser Honey,Solodrau Radianirova