Coventry RFC 29 Henley Hawks 15

Coventry did the damage in the first half as they secured maximum points for the third successive week in testing conditions at the Butts Park Arena.

But after bagging their four-try bonus point in 36 minutes, it was an unconvincing performance overall as they allowed themselves to be dragged into an arm wrestle by a Henley side that has now lost six in a row in National League One.

Henley twice went down to 14 men in the first half as Cov dominated up front and opened up a 26-3 lead against the elements, but the home side collected two yellow cards themselves immediately after the break to allow the opposition back into the game and could only muster a further Matt Jones penalty midway through the final quarter.

Playing into the wind and rain in the first half, Cov went in front on seven minutes with an unconverted try from George Oliver and - with Henley's Matt Payne in the sin bin - they signed off a dominant opening quarter with a Rob Knox try which Jones converted.

James Comben kicked a penalty on 25 minutes to give Henley some relief, but Cov were in total control in the forwards and when the visitors were again reduced to 14 men with Tom West going to the sin bin, a series of scrum offences led to a penalty try which Jones converted for a 19-3 lead after 35 minutes.

The bonus point try followed a minute later, Cov stealing a Henley line-out midway in their own half and Knox scything his way through the middle from 60 metres for a superb individual try which Jones again converted.

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