Bears v Cougars: a tale of two matches

When you think of teams in League 1 with a link, putting the Bears next to Keighley Cougars isn’t exactly the most obvious pairing, is it?

The more observant League 1 follower might note some of the players who have worn both team’s colours; current Bears men Matty Welham and Chris Cullimore have also donned Cougars red and green, while Ben Stead and Nathan Conroy have also had spells at the Butts and Cougar Park. Oh, and there’s that quirk of the Cougars having a man with the name Coventry among their number - always a little confusing when we meet.

Keighley also happened to be the visitors in 2016, when the Bears were able to showcase rugby league at Coventry’s Ricoh Arena, setting what was then a club-record attendance for the hosts.

The two sides are also intertwined for quite awful reasons. The Bears were the first side to play the Cougars after the tragic death of Danny Jones in 2015 - anyone involved in that grief-filled afternoon is unlikely to ever forget it.

But, the reason for this article - ahead of the two sides meeting at the Butts Park Arena on Friday 16 July - is two quite incredible games between the teams in the 2018. Despite happening just a couple of months apart from each other, the outcomes were wildly different, massively important for both clubs, and certainly worthy of a few words to remember them.

Round 1 - the mauling

The first part of this curious little tale happened on Sunday 6 May 2018, on a baking hot Bank Holiday weekend in West Yorkshire. The sun was out and the side form the Midlands were in a good mood - quietly fancying their chances of an upset. Not even the omen of the bus leaving Coventry late, completely forgetting to pick up one of the coaching staff as agreed, and almost leaving a player stranded somewhere near Loughborough dampened spirits.

What price a Bears win in the Spring sunshine?

If the small contingent of Bears VIPs thought being served Christmas Pudding as part of the pre-match meal - Keighley do play in festive colours after all - was going to be the most memorable part of the day, they would soon have to think again.

The two sides were level only twice during the game; at kick-off and around a 10 minutes in, when fullback Rhys Gant scored a try and the aforementioned Stead converted to make it 6-6.

As for the rest of the game, it was a blur of red, white, and green. The Cougars were rampant - unplayable - racking up 17 tries over the 80 minutes. With 15 of them converted, the final score was a rout - 98-6 to the hosts, a record win for them and a record loss for the Bears.

This game came only a few weeks after a similar loss for the Coventry side - 90-0 - away to Widnes Vikings in the Challenge Cup. But, Widnes were a Super League team at the time - Keighley were supposed to be at the same level as the Bears.

To say it was a long journey home that day, would be an understatement.

Round 2 - the miracle

Fast forward a few weeks - 76 days to be precise - to Saturday 21 July, and the Bears were set face the Cougars again, this time in the Midlands and the Bears coming into it off two straight wins.

That long, hot summer of 2018 - that had pretty much started on the day of their first meeting that year - still had its sweaty grip over the Coventry air. It was muggy, sticky, and the poor Butts Park Arena pitch was a state. Desert-like in parts, you could even see the remnants of the old cycling track that had played host to various Olympic champions in the 1940s.

There were plenty of reasons to bet against the Bears that day - not just the scoreline from early May. Thanks to a clash with the Student Home Nations tournament, the Bears were missing 10 players from their squad. Pickings were so slim that the coaching staff ended up issuing an SOS call that was answered by a couple of old favourites; halfback Brad Delaney and fullback Mikey Rusell.

Both would have significant impacts on a quite astonishing day.

Despite everything, that Saturday, the Bears triumphed. Their 30-20 victory was - at that time - their first in their history against a traditional heartlands club. And, they were terrific throughout.

Russell got things moving early on with the first try of what would end up being a hat trick, before Chris Barratt extended the lead further with a try that was crafted by the sleight of hand and quick feetof Delaney. The Cougars pegged the Bears back to 12-10 at half time, but there was the sniff of a shock in the air.

The second half was where it got really exciting. A Bears penalty nudged them further ahead, then Russell juggled his way to a second. Incredibly, Jacob Ogden also crossed to make it 24-10 to the hosts, only for them to get nervous and ship more points, allowing the Cougars to get back to 24-20.

Then, one of the greatest moments in the Bears’ recent history. The final hooter sounded as the Cougars launched a last-gap kick into the Midlands sky. Everyone celebrated wildly, apart from Dante Morley-Samuels, who caught the ball and set off towards the Cougars line. He managed to avoid being taken out by a high tackle, before feeding Russell for the game’s final flourish.

Cue bedlam. And, of course, redemption.

What next?

And so, to Friday 16 July. Will this year’s meeting be another for the history books? Both sides have shown glimpses of what they’re capable of so far this season, and it should be another excellent encounter between two teams with more than a few pieces of shared history.

Tickets are available now - for home and away fans - via our online ticket office. Get yours, join us for a terrific game under the Friday night lights, and see what might happen next!