Bath youngster to make Cov debut
ENGLAND Under-18s international George Worboys will make his Coventry Rugby debut in today’s round five fixture of the Championship season at London Scottish.
The 21-year-old back, described as a ball player, a decision-maker and as an attacking threat with ball in hand, has joined Cov on loan from Bath and will start at centre against the Exiles at the Richmond Athletic Ground (3pm).
Warwick-born Worboys takes over from Ollie Betteridge, who is among the replacements, as Cov head coach Alex Rae makes six changes – two up front and four in the backs – to the starting XV which fell to a tough defeat to title-chasing Ealing Trailfinders last week.
Harry Seward and Josh Bainbridge
come into the pack while Pat Pellegrini and Will Lane are reunited as the half-back pairing and James Martin lines up on the wing.
Toby Trinder captains the side again this week, in the absence of the injured Jordon Poole, and is joined in the front row by Suva Ma’asi and Seward. George Smith and James Tyas both start in a familiar-looking second row.
Bainbridge returns at blindside flanker, in an otherwise unchanged back row from the Ealing game, with Fred Betteridge and Player of the Month for September, Senitiki Nayalo filling out the rest of the pack.
In the midfield, Worboys starts at inside-centre and is joined by Will Rigg at 13. Martin, Will Talbot-davies and Louis Brown make up an exciting backfield trio.
Ollie Stone, Ollie Andrews and Jake Bridges will be waiting in the wings to bring additional power to the front row, with Frankie Read and Tom Ball adding to the forward replacements.
Fin Ogden will be looking to make an impact off the bench at scrum-half, whilst Ollie Betteridge and Shea Cornish, who returns from his two-game suspension, will provide cover in the centres and the back-three respectively.
The Exiles have lost all four league games so far and sit at the bottom of the table.
COVENTRY RUGBY: 1 Toby Trinder (c), 2 Suva Ma’asi, 3 Harry Seward, 4 George Smith, 5 James Tyas, 6 Fred Betteridge, 7 Josh Bainbridge, 8 Senitiki Nayalo; 9 Will Lane, 10 Pat Pellegrini, 11 James Martin, 12 George Worboys, 13 Will Rigg, 14 Will Talbot-davies, 15 Louis Brown.
Replacements: 16 Ollie Stone, 17 Ollie Andrews, 18 Jake Bridges, 19 Frankie Read, 20 Tom Ball, 21 Fin Ogden, 22 Ollie Betteridge, 23 Shea Cornish.