By Coventry Rugby 
Coventry Rugby make the trip to Goldington Road on Saturday afternoon to face second-placed Bedford Blues in a key Champ Rugby fixture, with the Blue-and-Whites currently sitting fourth in the table and carrying significant momentum into the contest.
Coventry arrive on the back of a five-game winning streak, establishing themselves as one of the form sides in Champ Rugby. Their recent attacking output has also stood out across the wider rugby landscape, with Coventry recording the fourth-highest average points per game across the last five rounds when measured against teams competing in the URC, Premiership Rugby, Top 14 and Champ Rugby.
Ball-carrying dominance has been a defining feature of that run. In the latest round, Coventry led the way with 557 carry metres and 803 total carry distance, demonstrating their ability to control territory and apply sustained pressure through multiple phases.
A key figure in that physical battle has been Senitiki Nayalo, who starts at number eight this weekend. Nayalo topped the latest round for dominant contacts (6) and has contributed 14 offloads this season, ranking sixth across Champ Rugby for that metric.
The matchday 23 sees Jordon Poole continue as captain, while the replacements include Sam Gibson, who is in line to make his second senior appearance for Coventry Rugby. The academy graduate made his debut against Cambridge over the Christmas period and is rewarded with another inclusion after continued strong progression.
Starting 15:
- Aristot Benz-Salomon
- Jordon Poole ©
- Matt Johnson
- Jack Shine
- Allan Ferrie
- Chester Owen
- Tom Ball
- Senitiki Nayalo
- Sam Maunder
- Josh Thomas
- Ewan Baker
- Dafydd-Rhys Tiueti
- Morgan Adderly-Jones
- David Opoku-Fordjour
- Tom Bacon
Replacements:
16. Murray Davidson
17. Marc Thomas (on loan from Bridgend Ravens)
18. Sam Gibson
19. Dylan Morris
20. Api Bavadra
21. Josh Barton
22. Tommy Mathews
23. Jack Reeves
With confidence high and momentum building, Coventry will look to extend their winning run and continue their push up the Champ Rugby table.
Kick-off is at 15:00.
