ALEX Rae admits Coventry Rugby can learn from their defeats this season after a final day loss at Cornish Pirates handed the title to Ealing Trailfinders.
Cov suffered a 22-12 defeat at The Mennaye as the club’s eight-game winning run came to an end along with their slim title chances.
And Rae admits defeats earlier in the campaign ultimately cost Cov in their pursuit of securing a first Championship title.
Rae said: “Hearing that Ealing lost at Doncaster does sting a bit however the damage for us was really done by some of the games we slipped up in during the autumn.
“There’s no point being that bloke who sits in the pub telling everyone what might have been and how he could have been a star.
“We weren’t good enough across the whole season to win the league this year and that’s something for us to learn from. The players have at times played some great rugby and they deserve lots of credit.
“Some will now be moving on and this squad won’t be together again. They have been a pleasure to work with and I can’t remember ever being involved with a harder-working group.
“We will obviously shake those who are going by the hand and wish them well and hope that days like this drive those who are staying on to bigger and better things.”
Cov were unable to take advantage of Ealing’s slip up at Doncaster Knights after conceding two late tries in Penzance.
The visitors failed to register a single point in the second half following tries from Jimmy Martin and Toby Trinder and a Pat Pellegrini conversion before the break.
And Rae bemoaned a number of missed opportunities in the second period before a late sin bin for replacement Chester Owen allowed Cornish to take control and win the game.
Rae added: “It was a real arm-wrestle between two good teams and credit goes to Pirates who squeezed a win at the end.
“I’m sure we’ll be looking back and kicking ourselves when we consider our missed opportunities and being honest it feels very much how it did when we lost to Pirates last time.
“Bruce Houston kicked well for them but when the game was tight in the second half and we had chances to score we really had to take them.
“You also can’t afford to give a team as good as Pirates a period playing against 14-men and we certainly got hurt by them while Chester Owen was in the sin bin.”
