Coventry came through one of their severest tests of the season, but it was a close call against a team which recently inflicted the first defeat of the season on the league leaders Bristol.

Rotherham's magnificent pack of forwards dominated the set pieces, but Coventry lived off the crumbs and were thankful for a wonderful piece of opportunism in the second half.

The home created several half chances in the opening minutes playing into a stiff wind, but could not put them away and it was left to the visitors to show them how to finish.

From their first attack of the match the northerners won a close range scrum and smuggled over their little scrum-half Dave Scully. He converted his own try.

Coventry were even further behind ten minutes later when Rotherham won a line out and from the maul flanker Ben Wade plunged over the line.

Fortunately for Coventry they posted a score of their own two minutes before half-time when the left winger Andy Smallwood crossed for an unconverted try.

The danger signs had been posted and Coventry almost slipped further adrift early in the second half when Rotherham sliced through only for their fly half Mike Umaga to spill the ball when tackled by the home skipper Julian Horrobin yards from the line.

But within minutes Coventry had levelled the scores when Richie Robinson made a remarkable interception with a one-handed over head catch. He immediately slipped the ball to his fly half Steve Gough who ran over to score behind the posts.

Gough converted as he did with a monster kick from the touchline when Matt Gallagher touched the third try by the left corner flag. Gough rounded off the scoring with a penalty goal in stoppage time to take his personal points tally to twelve and his season's total to 148.

COVENTRY: Gallagher; Minshull (McAdam 42), Robinson, Curtis, Smallwood; Gough, Dawson; Kerr, Soden (Addleton 54), Crane, Fountaine, Whitley, Crofts, Eves, Horrobin.

Tries: Smallwood, Gough, Gallagher.

Conversions: Gough 2.