Esher 14 Coventry 20 by John Wilkinson.

It's a question that had been on the lips of Coventry’s supporters for the best part of three months – and the answer is an emphatic yes.

This season’s Cov are top-three material.

There had been a few doubts along the way, but if Saturday’s game against fourth-placed Esher was viewed as the first major test of Cov’s credentials, they came through with flying colours.

In stark contrast to the previous week’s disjoined display in beating Tynedale, Cov had their minds on the job for the whole 80 minutes at Molesey Road as they secured a thoroughly deserved win which perhaps should have been by a healthier margin on the balance of territory and possession.

The homework done leading up to the game paid off as Cov dominated the set scrums, taking three balls against the head, and without this platform and repeatedly pinned back by Cov’s kicking, Esher found themselves running from deep positions into a brickwall defence.

The experience of Barry Davies at full-back and player-coach Scott Morgan in the second row was invaluable, but this was a disciplined 1 to 15 performance with everyone playing their role as intended and reaping the reward.

Cov made the perfect start, stealing Esher’s first line-out before taking the first scrum against the head, which led to an arcing run into the 22 by Will Hurrell with Rob Nash in support to send in Chris Locke for a try which Cliffie Hodgson converted.

Esher responded with a penalty from Luke Daniels, but when an unforced knock-on put Cov in a difficult position in their own 22, they duly took the scrum against the head to clear before Daniels put a second chance wide from 33 metres.

An eight-minute delay followed for treatment to Esher scrum-half Andrew Garner, and Cov restarted the better before pinning the home side in their 22 and pounding away through the forwards to force a succession of penalties which eventually resulted in a penalty try which Hodgson again converted.

Cov dominated the third quarter, played almost exclusively in the home half, but Danny Hobbs was held up on the line and a Mark Kohler score in the right corner was ruled out for a forward pass.

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