COVENTRY RFC returned to winning ways with a dominant 48-12 bonus point victory against Richmond as the home side ran in eight tries.
James Martin crossed twice for Coventry with Pat Pellegrini, Will Talbot-Davies, Louis Brown, Adam Peters and Jordan Poole all touching down at Butts Park Arena.
The result means Coventry sit third in the RFU Championship table at Christmas, 12 points behind leaders Jersey Reds.
And the home side raced into the lead on four minutes when Martin strolled over the line in the corner from Brown’s perfectly timed pass with Pellegrini adding the extras.
However, Richmond responded with a try of their own when a penalty allowed the visitors to kick deep into Coventry territory and Joe Vajner emerged with the ball over the try line from a driving maul.
Coventry restored their lead when Martin crossed for his second of the game on 11 minutes as he powered over the line with Pellegrini kicking the extras via the aid of the post.
A Pellegrini penalty further extended Coventry’s lead before the same player glided through a gap to score the home side’s third try after good work from Will Chudley at the breakdown.
And Coventry scored their bonus point try on 25 minutes when Talbot-Davies used his pace to burst through a gap and finish in the corner from Pellegrini’s cleverly delayed pass.
Coventry scored their fifth try on the half-hour mark when Brown shrugged off four defenders before making his way over the line with Pellegrini adding the extras.
Richmond grabbed their second try shortly before the break through Mark Bright as Coventry went into the interval with a 34-12 lead.
And Coventry made a similarly quick start to the second period to dot down on 42 minutes as Peters ran a good line to crash over with Pellegrini again successful from the kicking tee.
The home side completed the scoring on 48 minutes when Poole finished underneath the posts from Brown’s pass after the fullback broke the line with Pellegrini adding the extras.
Coventry are next in action away at Nottingham on Boxing Day (Monday, December 26) with kick-off at 3pm at Holme Road.
