POWERFUL centre Lucas Titherington will make his first start since the autumn when Coventry visit his former club Caldy this weekend.
Following the departure of Will Rigg to Premiership side Exeter, the 24-year-old, who has twice featured as a replacement since making his return from injury at the turn of the year, now gets the opportunity to partner Will Wand in Cov’s midfield.
With broken nose victim Ryan Hutler forced to leave the action during the first half of last week’s defeat by Cornish Pirates, Cov also make a change on the right wing where the speedy David Opoku comes in for his fourth appearance and second Championship start.
Since scrum-half Will Chudley is recuperating from a knock suffered against Pirates, last week’s try-scoring replacement no.9 Will Lane partners Pat Pellegrini at half back.
Fin Ogden has returned from his loan stint at Leicester Lions and will be among the replacements for the first time since Cov’s Premiership Rugby Cup defeat at Gloucester.
In the forwards, Cov boss Alex Rae opts for height in his back five where Obinna Nkwocha operates at blindside flanker and USA international Paddy Ryan wears no.7.
This gives Rhys Anstey a seventh start of the season in the second row alongside James Tyas while last week’s starting flankers Tom Ball and Matt Kvesic – who has started 13 of Cov’s 15 matches to date – switch to the bench.
Elliot Chilvers’ impressive second-half cameo against the Pirates sees him take the loose head shirt at Paton Field while Vili Nairau provides support from among the replacements.
Coventry’s line-up
Coventry Rugby: Wilson; Opoku, Wand, Titherington, Martin; Pellegrini, Lane; Chilvers, Poole, Nicol; Tyas, Anstey; Nkwocha, Ryan, Nayalo.
Replacements: Biggs, Nairau, Salt, Bartlett, Kvesic, Ogden, Mitchell, Ball
Coventry are next in action away at Caldy on Saturday, February 3 with kick-off at 2pm at Paton Field.
