COVENTRY RFC ended a 24-year wait for a win at London Scottish with an impressive 46-32 comeback victory in the capital.
Suva Ma’asi scored a hat-trick whilst Will Talbot-Davies grabbed a brace with Will Rigg and Pat Pellegrini also touching down in a seven-try success at Richmond Athletic Ground.
The result means Coventry sit sixth in the RFU Championship table having won three of their opening five league matches.
Kick-off was delayed by half an hour after the Coventry team bus arrived late due to the recent train strikes.
And things did not improve for the visitors when the whistle sounded as Cassius Cleaves scored the game’s first try before a brace from Dan Nutton put the Exiles into a 19-0 lead after just 11 minutes.
However, Coventry responded when Talbot-Davies finished off a scintillating team move with Pellegrini adding the extras.
The capital club extended their lead when Harry Sheppard kicked a penalty only for Coventry to hit back when Ma’asi finished from a well-constructed driving maul with Pellegrini successful from the kicking tee.
And Ma’asi struck again on the half-hour mark from another driving maul as London’s lead was cut to three points.
Coventry ended the half on the front foot and were rewarded with their bonus point try as Talbot-Davies scored his second of the afternoon in the corner from Pellegrini’s pinpoint cross-field kick as the visitors headed into the break with a two-point lead.
And Coventry picked up where they left off in the second period as Rigg ran an incredible line to dot down just two minutes after the restart before another Sheppard penalty reduced Coventry’s lead to four points.
Visiting full-back Louis Brown then produced a staggering 50-22 kick with the outside of his boot to put Coventry deep into the London half from which Ma’asi completed his hat-trick from yet another driving maul.
An intercept try from Theo Manihera kept the home side within once score only for Pellegrini to score and convert his own try to all but clinch the game for Coventry.
And Pellegrini completed the scoring with a late penalty to round off a fine afternoon of rugby.
Coventry are next in action at home to Cornish Pirates on Saturday, October 22 with kick-off at 3pm at Butts Park Arena.
