COVENTRY RFC capped off a superb season with a comfortable 43-19 bonus point victory away at Bedford Blues to end the campaign in third place.
Alex Rae’s side ran in six tries as Suva Ma’asi, Will Chudley, Adam Peters, James Martin, Senitiki Nayalo and Tobi Wilson all touched down at Goldington Road.
The result means Coventry finish the season on 88 points, just 12 points behind Championship winners Jersey Reds, having won 17 of their 22 matches and secured 18 try bonus points.
Coventry made a strong start and were rewarded with the game’s first try on nine minutes as Ma’asi crashed over from a rolling maul and Evan Mitchell added the extras.
And despite a spell of sustained Bedford pressure, Coventry doubled their lead on 29 minutes as Chudley cleverly intercepted a pass and ran half the length of the pitch to score as Mitchell converted.
However, Bedford responded almost immediately when Rich Lane touched down on 32 minutes as he gathered Louis Grimoldby’s crossfield kick on the bounce and Will Maisey converted from out wide.
Despite having Wilson in the sin bin, the visitors ran in their third try on 39 minutes as Adam Peters stormed through a gap to score under the posts on his final Coventry appearance with Mitchell converting.
Bedford reduced the deficit early in the second period when Lane crossed for his second try of the game on 45 minutes with a quick tap from a scrum penalty.
However, Coventry responded just four minutes later as Martin gathered Mitchell’s delightful kick and dotted down in the corner before Nayalo emerged from a rolling maul with the ball just minutes later as Mitchell converted both scores.
The home side scored their final try on 56 minutes when Dean Adamson dived over following an overlap on the near side and Maisey kicked the extras.
Coventry extended their lead through a Mitchell penalty before Wilson scored the club’s final try of the season when he collected Louis Brown’s offload and dived over in the corner.
