Cov Rugby 2024 - 2025 (3 Viewers)

[oldfiver]

2025/26 Season Membership - Coventry Rugby

Season Memberships are now available for Coventry Rugby’s 2025/26 season. One Vision. One Club. Together we are Coventry. The new season is just around the corner, and there’s never been a better time to renew your Coventry Rugby season membership! We’re excited to bring you more rugby action...

www.coventryrugby.co.uk

 

---

[oldfiver]

RFU proposes new play-off structure for Premiership promotion

Rugby union's governing body approves plans for a two-legged play-off to decide promotion and relegation from the Premiership.

www.bbc.co.uk

 

[oldfiver]

Statement by the Championship Clubs on today’s RFU Council meeting - Coventry Rugby

The Championship has today (Friday June 14th 2024) won the right to a realistic chance of promotion to the top-tier of the game and taken control of its destiny with the creation of a new, independently-chaired Tier 2 Board of governance. The RFU Council today approved a promotion and relegation...

www.coventryrugby.co.uk

 

[Covkid1968#]

Come on Cov…, looks like an opportunity here for a club like ours.

 

[Kneeza]

Rumour, but strong one.
Tonga stand-off Pat Pellegrini off to Auckland-based Moana Pasifika.
That'll not help the cause this coming season if true.

 

[Kneeza]

West side of BPA development: Cov seek support for Butts Park development - Coventry Rugby

 

[andy86]

Rumour, but strong one.
Tonga stand-off Pat Pellegrini off to Auckland-based Moana Pasifika.
That'll not help the cause this coming season if true.

Cov signing a new fly half this morning could be a bad sign..

 

[Kneeza]

Cov signing a new fly half this morning could be a bad sign..

Came here to post this. With Richman also already in place as a 10, it feels almost inevitable.
Mathews is a very promising stand-off though, and with the nurturing environment at the club, and the highly rated coaching team, could well turn out to be a gem.

 

[covfan1966]

A bit of a disaster if Pellegrini leaves, in the games I saw last season he was outstanding. Maybe the best fly half Cov have had since Huw Davies in the 1980's

 

[Kneeza]

A bit of a disaster if Pellegrini leaves, in the games I saw last season he was outstanding. Maybe the best fly half Cov have had since Huw Davies in the 1980's

True. We've had some pretty decent ones in the interim though - Luis Criscuolo and 'Elisi Vunipola for two.
Cov never try to hold their personnel back though, and that won't change until they reach the Prem.

 

[covfan1966]

Is there any definite news on Pellegrini? I see his portrait is still on the club website

 

[andy86]

Is there any definite news on Pellegrini? I see his portrait is still on the club website

Nothing yet.

He hasn't appeared in any of the pre season training photos/ videos at Cov.

Wasn't included in the recent Tonga squad though either.

 

[Kneeza]

There is some chatter that he's on an extended holiday back home, but will return pre-season.
I don't buy into that though.

 

[andy86]

There is some chatter that he's on an extended holiday back home, but will return pre-season.
I don't buy into that though.

Perhaps he's been on trial at Moana, and if he doesn't get offered a contract then he will return to Cov?

Moana have made a splash this week, signing Ardie Savea!

 

[Kneeza]

Perhaps he's been on trial at Moana, and if he doesn't get offered a contract then he will return to Cov?

Moana have made a splash this week, signing Ardie Savea!

I guess that's a possibility.
Fingers crossed, as he could be the difference between top and second (heart possibly leading head there...).

 

[Kneeza]

Pellegrini confirmed as signed by Gordon Highlanders/Moana in Oz.
Ah well, it was good while it lasted - now to see the next gem polished.

 

[Kneeza]

This hasn't been released yet. Don't know why, as the clubs have known for three weeks.
The Prem Cup has been drawn on a regional basis. Cov have Nottingham, Leicester, and Northampton, and games will be played on a home and away basis - so a vast improvement on last season's debacle/nonsense.
I'm actually looking forward to it for once.
Hopefully the clubs will announce it soon, but who knows?

 

[Kneeza]

Finally they've announced the Prem Cup fixtures - and Cov's first game is away on a Friday night ffs. The whole point is to fill Saturdays during the international breaks.
Fckn Nottingham with their 'can't play on a Saturday due to Forest and County'. Grrr.

 

[Kneeza]

Others here:

Cup draw pairs Premiership giants with Cov - Coventry Rugby

Midlands giants Leicester and Northampton have been drawn alongside Coventry Rugby and Nottingham in pool two of the 2024/25 Premiership Rugby Cup. In a development from last season, the pool stages of this competition will be played on a home-and-away basis which means the Butts Park Arena will...

www.coventryrugby.co.uk

 

[wingy]

Went over today, good afternoon for the preseason friendly v Moseley won by something like 55 points to 19 absolutely mullered the other lot second half and probably gave them their last score out of sympathy tbf, great afternoon and facilities!

 

[Kneeza]

61-21
Nine tries (six in the second half).
Cov's first game, but Mose's third I think, so took a little while to find their feet.
Big gulf in class though, unsurprisingly.
I would think if we'd used our strongest combinations throughout the eighty, the scoreline would have been rather more emphatic.
Glad you enjoyed it Wingy. It's a neat little ground these days.

 

[Kneeza]

Second and last PSF. Cov 45-17 Chinnor.
Seven tries (five in the first half before changing virtually the whole line-up for the second when the visitors came into it scoring three of their own).
Biggest takeaways: Forwards solid, and scoring most of the tries. Backs shaky, not looking like they'd actually met each other for long periods. Fly-half is an issue now with Pellegrini gone and two injured. The kid (Mannion) who stepped in is promising, but raw. Good kicking game though.
Not overly confident for the trip to London Scottish, but hopefully lessons have been learned and I'll be proved wrong.

 

[andy86]

Second and last PSF. Cov 45-17 Chinnor.
Seven tries (five in the first half before changing virtually the whole line-up for the second when the visitors came into it scoring three of their own).
Biggest takeaways: Forwards solid, and scoring most of the tries. Backs shaky, not looking like they'd actually met each other for long periods. Fly-half is an issue now with Pellegrini gone and two injured. The kid (Mannion) who stepped in is promising, but raw. Good kicking game though.
Not overly confident for the trip to London Scottish, but hopefully lessons have been learned and I'll be proved wrong.

Positive result, and looking forward to the season ahead.

My only concerns are 1) will we be a little undercooked? Two pre season games seems a bit light, and 2) like you said, fly half. Could be worth seeing if there are any short term options out there.

 

[Kneeza]

Reading between the lines, maybe one of the two crocked out-halves will be fit for Friday.
I wouldn't bet on it though - it was just a whisper.
As for being undercooked; yes, possibly. However I'd have liked to have seen more continuity over the two halves as I reckon the backs would have made hay as the dominant forward pack wore the oppo down.
However, we have to appreciate that the coaches wanted to run the rule over the entire available squad so no issues with how it was managed.

 

[Kneeza]

Cov's opening game of the season ended in a 45-19 win, with four tries coming from the forwards and two from the backs - all converted by outside half Liam Richman (another Aussie diamond?) who was fit, as hoped for.
He added a pen to give himself a nice total of 15 points.
Home side London Scottish chipped in with three late tries to give their side of the scoreline a bit more gloss than it perhaps warranted. Perhaps too many Cov personnel changes in the second half again?
Good result though, and somewhat better than I anticipated.

 

[andy86]

Solid start for Cov, at not our happiest of hunting grounds in the past.

Like you I didn’t expect quite such a comprehensive scoreline, but will happily take it

Hopefully the late tries against will be cut out once fitness improves.

 

[Kneeza]

Solid start for Cov, at not our happiest of hunting grounds in the past.

Like you I didn’t expect quite such a comprehensive scoreline, but will happily take it

Hopefully the late tries against will be cut out once fitness improves.

Haven't lost there for over three seasons now. Three wins out of last four.

I think they're fit enough tbh. They are just losing shape when the replacements get thrown on. I'd be happy with smaller (matchday) squads/fewer non-injury changes but the ruling body decrees different.
C'est la vie.

 

[oldfiver]

I asked every Championship rugby club if they want promotion - only two said yes

The Premiership is supposedly the pinnacle of English rugby, but most clubs in the second tier think staying put would be more sustainable

inews.co.uk

 

[oldfiver]

RFU confirm deadline for additional teams to apply for new Tier 2

Additional clubs wanting to take part in the new 14-team Tier 2 league in 2025/26 have been set an October 13 deadline to apply.

www.rugbypass.com

 

[Kneeza]

Another 45 points win today (45-7 this time, over Bedford who were crowing over their big win last weekend) to go top of the Championship.
Ealing schmealing

 

[wingy]

Should have gone down,oh well!

 

[Kneeza]

Should have gone down,oh well!

It was a cracker. Dominated for 80 minutes even when down to 14 men.
Bedford were lucky to get a consolation.

 

[Evo1883]

Great win today

 

[andy86]

Fantastic performance from Cov, dominated the game from start to finish. Expected more from Bedford, but very encouraging from a Cov perspective.

Decent enough crowd of 3000+ too, although I think the club were hoping for a few more.

 

[Kneeza]

Decent enough crowd of 3000+ too, although I think the club were hoping for a few more.

They were, but to be fair, crowds are often quite low early doors, and build as the season goes on. Keep up this level of performance, keeping Ealing honest, and who knows how high the average will go.