GNR Senitiki Nayalo (7 PARA RHA) played 67 minutes as Coventry pulled off a famous 34-32 home win against runaway Championship leaders Ealing Trailfinders.
The table-toppers made a blistering start as Jonah Holmes and James Corden-Redden crossed inside five minutes, only for the hosts to hit back as Pat Pellegrini converted Ollie Betteridge and Jordan Poole scored for 14-10.
However, another two-try salvo from Nathan Earle and Craig Hampson, Craig Willis adding the extras to the first, put the Londoners back in command before Poole and Pellegrini cut the gap to a point on the stroke of half-time.
Matt Cornish rumbled over from a maul to put Ealing back in front, but Cov responded as Pellegrini’s kick after Jordan Martin touch down snuck them 28-27 up.
Earle’s second with two minutes remaining looked like helping Trailfinders home, but Tobi Wilson’s penalty almost immediately after secured a wonderful home win which keeps Coventry third.
Rfn Vereimi Qorowale (2 Rifles) came on as a late substitute as Doncaster Knights won 34-20 at basement boys London Scottish.
Two Russell Bennett penalties and a penalty try had the visitors 13-0 in front at the end of the first quarter, a Will Brown score cutting the gap before half time.
The comeback continued as Alex Lloyd-Seed converted Jack Ingall’s effort, but Knights reasserted themselves as Bennett was on target after George Roberts and Maliq Holden crossed.
A Noah Ferdinand try and Lloyd-Seed penalty pulled Scottish within losing bonus-point range, but a converted Ollie Fox try in injury-time meant Rfn Qorowale’s return from injury began on a winning note.
Sgt Matt Dawson (Int Corps) was on the losing side as Cambridge went down 22-12 at home to Bedford Blues.
A first-half Sean French try and a quick-fire double from Dean Adamson and Will Maisey shortly after the break had Blues in command before Sgt Dawson departed on 47 minutes.
Matt Williams got Cambridge on the scoreboard with a try at the start of the fourth quarter, but Maisey converted after Luke Frost touched down to seal a bonus-point for Bedford.
Williams doubled his tally in injury-time, but along with Jamie Benson’s conversion, it proved merely a consolation for the Blood & Sand.
Words © Richard Ashton
Header and feature image – Alligin Photography © Cat Goryn
