Scoring streaks are nice things to have, especially when they come at crucial moments in Cup knockout matches.
This is what happened to Gnr Senitiki Nayalo (7 Para RHA) on Sunday afternoon, where he extended his knack of crossing the whitewash by another week to help Coventry see off Doncaster Knights on aggregate over the two legs played between the clubs in the Championship Cup’s quarter finals.
Coventry had a comfortable lead after the first leg, so it was inevitable that Doncaster would come out firing at Butts Park Arena, which they duly did, going 7-0 and then 14-7 up. Gnr Nayalo’s effort tied things up just before the half-hour, and while Doncaster would score again either side of the break Coventry would draw level again at 24-all.
Doncaster would score the final try of the day to win the 80 minutes 31-27, but with a 62-53 aggregate scoreline it will be Coventry who will head to Jersey on Friday for the semi-final.
Unfortunately Cpl Lewis Bean (Rifles) and his Glasgow Warriors team mates were unable to turn a half-time lead into a win away to Lyon in the European Challenge Cup quarter finals.
Cpl Bean came into the action on the hour mark, but by then the momentum which had been with the Warriors for the first 50 minutes had already begun to swing behind the Top 14 outfit.
Glasgow came out of the blocks quickly, scoring the game’s first try with just six minutes on the clock, and led 20-13 at half-time. A penalty try extended this lead to 27-13, but that was as good as it got for the Scottish team, as Lyon scored in the 55th, 62nd and 70th minute to hit the front, which is where they stayed until the final whistle, winning 35-27.
In the Premier 15s there was an afternoon to forget for Capt Gemma Rowland (RA) and her Wasps team mates, who were on the wrong end of a 34-7 loss away to Gloucester-Hartpury.
For the first hour the scoring was all one-way, as Gloucester-Hartpury racked up 27 unanswered points. Capt Rowland’s introduction after 50 minutes did coincide with Wasps’ upturn, and the away team would get onto the scoreboard just past the hour.
But there was still time for Gloucester-Hartpury to finish the game with a flourish, ending Wasps’ hopes of a semi-final place in the process.
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