ALEX Rae has made just one enforced change ahead of Coventry Rugby’s clash with league leaders Ealing Trailfinders this weekend.
Cov’s on-loan Ealing centre Tom Hitchcock drops out of the squad while fellow Trailfinders pair Elliot Chilvers and Rhys Anstey are unavailable under the terms of the agreement between the two clubs.
Hitchcock impressed in Cov’s win at Doncaster Knights last time out with Ollie Betteridge taking his place in the side, making just his fourth appearance of the season.
Chilvers is replaced on the bench by tighthead prop Eliot Salt while the versatile Vili Nairau covers the loosehead prop position.
With Anstey already likely to miss the game due to a lower back problem, Chester Owen again provides second row cover while the pacy David Opoku also has another chance to impress from the bench.
Ealing won 31-13 in the reverse fixture back in November with Cov head coach Rae expecting another tough match against Trailfinders who have lost just one match all season.
Rae said: “Ealing are top of the league and playing very well. They have a big squad full of players with Premiership experience so it will be a massive test.
“The table doesn’t lie over the course of a season.
“They’re top because they’ve been clinical and won their games so it’s down to us to show we’ve made improvements since we last played them and we’re on the rise.
“The league is tight and there are four clubs very tightly packed behind Ealing.
“It will be whoever puts together a good run over the next few weeks that pulls away and creates a separation from maybe third place down and hopefully that’s us.”
Coventry’s line-up
Coventry: Wilson; Hutler, Wand, Betteridge, Martin; Pellegrini, Chudley; Trinder, Poole, Nicol; Tyas, Nkwocha; Ball, Kvesic, Nayalo.
Replacements: Biggs, Nairau, Salt, Owen, Ma’asi, Lane, Mitchell, Opoku.
Coventry host Ealing on Saturday, March 9 with kick-off at 2.30pm at Butts Park Arena.
