Gray inspires Hartpury to leave Cov at starting gate

By PAUL SMITH

Coventry ………..29pts

Tries: Tries: Kvesic 9, Chilvers 19, Rigg 55, Wand 80

Conversions: Mitchell 9, 55, 80

Pens: Mitchell (52)

Hartpury Uni … 47pts

Tries: Harper 15, Penalty 30, Gray 45, 71; Summerfield 67 Kite 74 Jones 79

Conversions: Bazalgette 15, 45, 67, 71, 79

INSPIRED by two tries from outstanding No.8

Josh Gray, Hartpury ended Coventry’s unbeaten home run at 15 games with an emphatic seven-try Butts Park Arena success.

The visitors dug in through a first half in which they lost two players to the sin bin, then after the lead changed hands around the hour mark they powered away through a totally-dominant fourth quarter.

Hartpury lost centre Jack Reeves to the sinbin in the early stages and Cov took full advantage by driving Matt Kvesic over for a try which Evan Mitchell upgraded.

But the visitors were soon back on level terms when their driving lineout forced Jarrard Hayler over from close-range and Harry Bazalgette tagged on a fine conversion.

The visitors’ No.10 was almost immediately yellow carded for obstructing a Pat Pellegrini chip-andchase and again Cov’s forwards delivered a power-play try through prop Elliot Chilvers.

But Cov were struggling in both forms of the set-piece and it was no surprise when they conceded a penalty try for collapsing a maul with James Tyas being sent to the sinbin.

This gave Hartpury a slender two-point interval advantage which Bazalgette’s conversion of Gray’s first score extended to nine soon after the restart.

Cov looked likely winners at the hour mark after Mitchell kicked a simple penalty and tagged the extras on to a fine long-distance Will Rigg score.

However, Hartpury bounced back to such good effect that they blew the hosts away with a four-try salvo that delivered 26 unanswered points in just 12 minutes.

Replacement prop Mikey Summerfield got the first of these from a pick-and-drive before Gray’s second score came from similarly close range.

Bazalgette converted both before replacements Danny Kite and Matty Jones added touchdowns number six and seven for now-rampant Hartpury.

Will Wand had the last word for Coventry – and in the process earned them a consolatory bonus point – but by then nothing could take the shine off a famous away day for Bar nes’ team.