Martin gets his chance for injury-hit Cov
JAMES Martin is handed his senior debut and Gerald Ellis makes his first appearance of the season in a much-changed Coventry Rugby side to face Cornish Pirates at Butts Park Arena today (3pm).
Injuries sustained both at Hartpury last weekend and during the week in training have prompted ten changes to the team for Round 11 of the Greene King IPA Championship campaign.
Max Trimble (knee), James Gibbons and James Voss (both neck) are unavailable from the team which was edged out 23-20 by a last-gasp penalty in Gloucestershire, with Junior Bulumakau (knee), Andy
Bulumakau (ribs) and Jack Ram (knee) also out with injury.
Andy Forsyth, Jimmy Stevens and Toby Trinder are all absent due to the Premiership’s week off.
The absence of Trimble and the Bulumakau brothers means a senior club debut for Martin, who has scored 12 times in 16 matches for Cambridge in National League One.
There is a contrast in experience on the other wing,
David Halaifonua returning to the team, and Rob Knox and Will Owen partner in the centres.
Up front Luc Jeannot replaces Gibbons, with Ellis in line for his first action of the season after successfully rehabilitating from surgery in the early autumn. Heath Stevens also returns to the match day 23 for the first time since the pre-Christmas win over Nottingham.
Fifth-placed Coventry are unbeaten at home in the Championship so far in 2019/20 but it will be a stern challenge today. Pirates head up the M5 sitting second in the table and on the back of an unbeaten league run that stretches back to November.
COVENTRY: 15 Dan Lewis; 14 David Halaifonua, 13 Rob Knox, 12 Will Owen, 11 James Martin; 10 Rory Jennings, 9 Tom Kessell; 1 Luc Jeannot, 2 Joe Buckle, 3 Phil Boulton, 4 Adam Peters, 5 Alex Woolford, 6 Ben Nutley, 7 Luke Wallace, 8 Ryan Burrows (capt).
Replacements: 16 Scott Tolmie, 17 Gerard Ellis, 18 Gareth Denman, 19 George Oram, 20 Senitiki Nayalo, 21 Pete White, 22 Will Maisey, 23 Heath Stevens.