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Coventry Rugby boss Alex Rae makes only one change to the side that claimed an opening day win over Saracens for tomorrow’s Premiership Rugby Cup Pool A visit to Harlequins (Stoop Memorial Ground, 3pm kick off).

This sees club captain Jordon Poole, who last week arrived on the pitch early in the second half, named as starting hooker.

Suva Ma’asi, who was one of four try-scorers in last week’s momentous win over the defending Premiership champions, therefore switches to the bench.

The second and back rows of the scrum are unchanged as is the personnel among the replacements where Rae again opts for the five-two split of forwards and backs that served his team so well against the multiple European Cup winners.

Cov’s backs were responsible for 23 of their side’s points against Sarries as Pat Pellegrini topped up his late try with four conversions while man-of-the-match Will Wand and pacy winger Ryan Hutler grabbed the blue-and-whites’ remaining scores.

Rae retains this behind-the-scrum line-up en bloc for the trip to the Stoop while fly half Evan Mitchell and scrum half Will Lane provide back-up from the bench.

Tomorrow’s hosts began their cup campaign with a comfortable 54-14 Pool A win over Hartpury during which their youthful side scored eight tries to the visitors’ two.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s contest Rae said his team will need to again be at their best if they are to retain a 100 per cent start to their five-week Pool A programme.

“Harlequins are a good all-round side with some really talented players,” he said. 

“They play a great brand of rugby, have a good kicking game, scrum and lineout as well as their attack.

“They named their side early this week so we know already that we will face a really talented back three comprising two exciting young wingers with plenty of pace plus Tyrone Green playing his first game back – he was a stand-out back-three player until he got injured.

“We will be punished if we’re not right on it and it will be very exciting for us to face the challenge they present.”

Coventry Rugby: James; Hutler, Wand, Rigg, Martin; Pellegrini, Chudley; Trinder, Poole, Salt; Tyas, Anstey; Ryan, Kvesic, Nayalo. 

Replacements: Ma’asi, Chilvers, Andrews, Smith, Bartlett, Lane, Mitchell, Ball.

Harlequins: Green; Cleaves, Hyde, Bradley, Zheng; Slevin, Murray; Botta, Jibulu, Chawatama; Hammond, Herbst; Jurevicius, White, Cunningham-South.

Replacements: Head, Osborne, Hobson, Kenningham, Lawday, Clare, Benson, Beard.

Referee: Sara Cox


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