Tupai doubles up in Blues' six try rout

BY SIMON HUTCHINSON

BEDFORD BLUES 42 COVENTRY 6


Bedford's tremendous start to the Championship season continued as they thumped near neighbours Coventry at a packed Goldington Road.

Six tries secured a bonus point win for the Blues who showed that they will certainly be a match for any team in the new league.

"It was a very pleasing return to Goldington Road for me," said Ben Lewitt after the whistle. "But I'd forgotten just how much the hill takes it out of you.

"We set out to put in a performance and I felt that our backs were clinical in their finishing as was Paul Tupai.

"It was a great performance and we are really pleased. To have played 160 minutes of rugby and not to have conceded a try in that time is great - we want to keep that going."

It was certainly a feisty first half with referee Michael Tutty probably being the busiest man on the field as he sin-binned three players.

James Pritchard had the chance to give the Blues an early lead, but his kick was pulled just to the left of the posts but in the seventh minute Bedford had a numerical advantage when David Maddocks was yellow carded for throwing a punch.

Bedford swarmed forward through Dan Richmond, Alex Rae, Sam Walsh and Phil Boulton before Will Chudley linked up with Ollie Dodge and Ian Davey to play in Brendan Burke who glided over the line before Pritchard converted.

The home side continued to play attractive rugby with Lewitt, Gregor Gillanders and Ian Vass all showing quick hands on the ball before a knock-on brought the move to a halt.

Coventry rode their luck a little and were fortunate not to be penalised when Pritchard appeared to be pulled back as he chased a Myles Dorrian punt, but the ref caught them in an offside position moments later and the Canadian international converted the three points.

Two minutes later and Tupai picked up a yellow card for 'a high swinging arm' but the Blues covered well and didn't concede any points while he was off the field.

When Chris Goodman was carded for hands in the ruck on the half an hour mark, Coventry full back Ben Russell chipped the ball over for the points and, following an infringement at the scrum in the Blues 22, he did exactly the same to bring the score to 10-6.

Bedford finished the half stronger and Pritchard kicked another three points following a high challenge on the lively Will Chudley before the referee's whistle signalled the break.

The second half was one-way traffic as the Blues ran in five tries without reply.

The first came for Paul Tupai as Bedford's pack mauled their way over the line and it was the Samoan international who came up with the ball.

Eight minutes later and 'Toops' had a second when the ball was popped to him at the back of a ruck and he bulldozed his way over.

On the stroke of the 58th minute Pritchard scored his second try of the season following a superb run by Ian Davey and then five minutes later the barrage continued as the impressive Chris Goodman crossed the line. Tupai, Gillanders and Lewitt were all involved in the build-up before Dodge galloped clear and played in the big number eight.

Coventry's misery was completed in the 80th minute when replacements Darryl Veenendaal and Sacha Harding exchanged passes before Brad Davies piled his way over to give Pritchard an easy conversion.

Scorers. Bedford: Try; Burke, Tupai (2), Pritchard, Goodman, Davies - Con; Pritchard (3) - Pen; Pritchard (2). Coventry: Pen; Russell (2)

Teams. Bedford: Pritchard, Dodge, Burke (Roberts 72), Vass, Davey, Dorrian (Davies 64), Chudley (Veenendaal 72), Walsh (Brown 64), Richmond (Locke 64), Boulton, Tupai (Spencer 68), Rae, Gillanders, Lewitt (Harding 68), Goodman.

Coventry: Russell, Hurrell, MacKenzie, Lewis, Plantey, Hayes (Locke 68), Walls (Jones 46), Maddocks (Davis 54), Merrigan (McMillan 54), Roberts (Dugard 46), Brenton (McGowan 58), Dechartres, Venter (Pons 54), Bignell, Miller.

Attendance: 2852