Coventry Rugby head coach Alex Rae makes two modifications and an additional positional change in his pack for tomorrow’s Championship journey to London Scottish (3pm kick off).
The blue-and-whites return to league motion 19 days after finishing a festive season East Midlands double with a assured 19-34 success at Bedford.
They usually achieve this with a reshaped back-row wherein the pacy Tom Ball joins Matt Kvesic on the flanks and Jack Bartlett begins at no.8 within the absence of Tiki Nayalo who’s away with the British Military.
With Cov’s front-row damage scenario easing considerably throughout December, they’re able to choose six of their very own squad to fill the beginning and substitute entrance row roles. That is the primary time since mid-September {that a} Premiership mortgage participant has not featured in a match day 23.
Fijian prop Vili Nairau, who performed 55 minutes throughout two stints at tight head at Goldington Street on New 12 months’s Day, reveals his versatility by switching to the left-hand aspect of the scrum on the Richmond Athletic Floor.
This permits highly effective tight head Adam Nicol to make his return from a hamstring tear that has sidelined him since mid-October with Elliot Chilvers and Eliot Salt being named on the bench.
The in-form Jordon Poole skippers Coventry from the center of the entrance row with fit-again Will Biggs offering cowl among the many replacements.
Cov’s solely change behind the scrum sees Will Lane handed a primary league begin of the season at scrum half whereas Will Chudley switches to the bench.
In any other case Rae names a same-again backline whose attacking efficiency has already delivered 35 tries to date this season – 19 of which have been touched down by wingers Jimmy Martin and Ryan Hutler.
A 3rd pacy winger, David Opoku, will get one other likelihood to impress ought to he seem from among the many replacements whereas centre Lucas Titherington can be in line to make his return from damage within the no.22 shirt.
Cov’s head coach stated his staff anticipate a troublesome check in opposition to in-form opponents.
“We’re anticipating a very powerful sport tomorrow,” he stated. “Scottish have already turned Ealing over on the RAG and the video games they’ve misplaced not too long ago have all been to just about the final kick.
“We may simply be dealing with a aspect who’ve received their final 4 or 5 video games on the bounce so it’s a very harmful sport for us and one we’re taking very severely.”
Coventry Rugby: Wilson; Hutler, Wand, Rigg, Martin; Pellegrini, Lane; Nairau, Poole, Nicol; Tyas, Nkwocha; Ball, Kvesic, Bartlett.
Replacements: Biggs, Chilvers, Salt, Anstey, Ryan, Chudley, Titherington, Opoku.
Purchase tickets to Coventry Rugby’s subsequent house sport in opposition to Cornish Pirates on Saturday January 27th right here: https://www.coventryrugby.co.uk/tickets/matchday-tickets/
