COVENTRY Rugby maintained their perfect start to the season with a dominant 45-7 win against Bedford Blues in their first home game of the campaign.
Wingers Jimmy Martin and Ryan Hutler both crossed twice while Matt Kvesic and Aaron Hinkley also touched down in a seven-try success at Butts Park Arena.
The result means Coventry sit top of the Championship table, ahead of Ealing Trailfinders on points difference.
Alex Rae’s side made the perfect start as Kvesic raced over after just two minutes following Daf Tiueti’s powerful break as Liam Richman kicked the conversion.
Cov struck again soon after when Martin finished a well-placed kick-pass from Richman before the same player crossed for his second try five minutes later.
Martin scooped up a loose ball and cantered over the line after Cov turned the ball over following a huge hit by Billy Nairau as Richman added the extras.
Bedford’s Fred Tuilagi received a yellow card early in the second quarter and Cov took full advantage of the extra man as Hinckley applied the finishing touch to score the home side’s bonus point try after 14 players joined a lineout maul.
The visitors responded after the break when prop Oisin Heffernan drove over from close range after Cov were caught offside inside their own 22 as former Cov favourite Will Maisey added the conversion.
However, Cov hit back straight from the restart with the home side awarded a penalty try following a scrum only to lose Tiki Nayalo to the sin-bin in the third quarter
Undeterred, the home side touched down again as Hutler recovered Oli Morris’s chip to race over in the corner and finish off a 70-metre move on the counter attack with Richman converting.
And Hutler dotted down again with two minutes left to play to run in Cov’s seventh try as Richman’s conversion completed the scoring.
Coventry are next in action against Cambridge on Saturday, October 5 with kick-off at 3pm at Ellgia Fields.
