NEWLY-capped USA back-rower Paddy Ryan will make his Coventry Rugby debut in tonight’s pre-season friendly against Birmingham Moseley (7.45pm kick off, Billesley Common).
The powerhouse flanker who signed for Cov from Championship rivals Ampthill over the summer has since won three caps for his country.
Ryan is selected alongside former England flanker Matt Kvesic and Tiki Nayalo as part of a mouth-watering back row combination.
Coventry head coach Alex Rae has named 31 players for the floodlit Billesley Common encounter but unlike last Saturday’s friendly against Leicester Lions, Cov line-up in a traditional starting XV and replacements structure.
Most of Cov’s squad saw action during the 33-21 win over the newly promoted National One outfit with the most prominent exception, last season’s Supporters Club player of the year Will Chudley, now handed a start against his club’s oldest rivals.
Chudley teams up at half back with exciting young no.10 Evan Mitchell with Saturday try-scorers Will Rigg and Ryan Hutler also among the outside backs.
Additionally, with Jordon Poole named among the replacements, prop forward Toby Trinder will skipper Cov against a National One home side that has won warm-up games against league rivals Darlington Mowden Park and National Two outfit West Luctonians.
Adam Balding’s Moseley line-up is likely to include a number of former Butts Park Arena favourites including outside backs Isaac McNulty, Andy Bulumakau and Rob Knox, plus front-rowers David Langley and Sam McNulty.
Rae said: “We’re really excited about playing our local rivals Moseley in this pre-season game.
“There has been plenty to work on since the Leicester Lions game and we’ve had a really good week’s training which should give us plenty of focus. I’m looking forward to seeing how that translates on the pitch.
“We’ve chosen not to play next week so we have a clear fortnight ahead of the cup game with Saracens so we can clear up any bumps and bruises.
“We’re intending to give everyone some game time at Moseley and hope we will start to get some rhythm into our play.”
Coventry Rugby: James; Hutler, Rigg, Titherington, Martin; Mitchell, Chudley; Trinder ©, Ma’asi, Salt; Tyas, Anstey; Ryan, Kvesic, Nayalo.
Forwards Replacements: Poole, Chilvers, Andrews; Smith, Nkwocha; Ball, Bartlett, Owen, Stone.
Backs Replacements: Wilson, Opoku; Wand, Betteridge; Mannion, Ogden, Lane.
