Reality check for Coventry

Coventry 28 Rotherham 41

Coventry's revival was stopped dead in its tracks by ebullient Rotherham, who scored seven tries to their three, and so strengthened their hold on the leadership of National League One.

For Coventry this was a major setback, halting a winning run which went back to early November, when Zinzan Brooke joined the club. With five successive league victories that had lifted them to fourth in the table, Coventry have embraced the spirit of renaissance with which the New Zealander has imbued them.

But Brooke was absent yesterday, his wife Alison having presented him with a son in the early hours of the morning, parenthood coming before parental guidance at the back of the scrum for Brooke, and his leadership was missed without doubt. But the old Coundon Road ground, which has staged so many tremendous matches, was much like its old self with Coventry on something of a roll and the home supporters baying for their team.

If the word great is the most overused and misapplied in sport, as recently as two decades ago it was apposite to call Coventry one of the great clubs. In the Fifties and Sixties they had a pack who lorded it over England. These days we think of the reputation of the Leicester front row, but Bert Godwin, Phil Judd and Mike McLean were an altogether more fearsome unit. Behind them was the peerless Peter Robbins, George Cole kicked goals from all angles, while Peter Jackson ran in tries galore from the right wing.

After those heady days came the Coventry of Peter Rossborough, David Duckham, Peter Preece, Geoff Evans and Chris Wardlow. They also had a magnificent pack and two of the principal enforcers, Keith Fairbrother and Jim Broderick, together with Brooke, are trying to guide the club back to the summit.

It has not been easy since they almost made it five years ago, but lost out narrowly to London Irish in the play-offs. With borrowings of £2.4 million, administration followed. But with their debts repaid, brighter days lie ahead, with a move to a new ground next year, and hopes of a return to the top.

First they have to learn how to get beyond sides like Rotherham, who tasted life in the Premiership, only to come straight back down again. Although they competed manfully almost everywhere for the most part, Coventry were outmuscled and outmanoeuvred by the Rotherham pack, in which Mike Schmid and Russell Earnshaw were outstanding. Even the second-half sin-binning of Earnshaw and Jim Thorp failed to slow Rotherham's momentum, although they were distinctly rattled by tries from Martyn Davies and Simon Brocklehurst, added to Mark Tinnock's first-half try and 18 points from Davies.

Although the harsh truth is that if Ramiro Pez had not experienced one of the most wretched kicking afternoons of his life – the Argentinian missed with all seven conversions, plus a penalty – Rotherham's margin of victory would have been greater. It is also true to say that for all their superiority in several key areas, Rotherham look no more a Premiership side than they did last season.

However, three tries for replacement hooker, Chris Johnson, two each for Oriol Ripol and Earnshaw were enough to send Rotherham home in good heart to receive nearest rivals Worcester next Saturday.

Coventry: M Davies; K Johnson, S Brocklehurst, M Curtis, A McLean; E Vunipola, T Dawson; M Mika, D Addleton (T McMurray, 62), P Graham (R Siviter, 62), R Hurrell (J Griffiths, 62), M Tinnock (capt), J Horrobin, J Koloi, S Brady (L Crofts, 62).

Rotherham: P Massey; O Ripol (J Keyter, 68), J Cannon, J Shepherd, M Wood; R Pez, C Harrison; J Thorp, H Toews (C Johnson, 45), S Bunting, D Cook, G Kenworthy (H Parr, 68), M Schmid (capt), R Earnshaw, L Greef (A Toola, h-t; A Gravil, 58).

Referee: J Barnard (East Yorkshire).