Sam Maunder makes first Coventry start in Nottingham cup tie

Sam Maunder makes his first Coventry start when Nottingham visit the Butts Park Arena in the Premiership Rugby Cup tomorrow (2pm kick off).

The 24-year-old scrum-half who is on loan from Premiership outfit Exeter has appeared as a replacement over the last fortnight during Cov’s Championship clashes with Doncaster and Bedford.

Maunder’s first appearance in a starting Coventry team is the only change made by head coach Alex Rae to the line-up that began the Blue-and-Whites’ narrow defeat at Bedford last weekend.

He is joined at half-back by Tommy Mathews whose perfect five-from-five return from the kicking tee kept alive Cov’s hopes of an against-the-odds win at Goldington Road despite them playing the closing 30 minutes with 14 men.

Top try-scorer Ryan Hutler again features at outside centre with Charlie Robson – who won the Championship try-of-the-week award for his first-minute, long-range effort against the Blues – named at full back.

Because the red card shown to Jordon Poole at Bedford was for two ‘technical’ infringements, his sending off was deemed adequate punishment which means Cov’s skipper retains his place between Toby Trinder and Eliot Salt in tomorrow’s front row.

Cov pair Obi Nkwocha and James Tyas, both of whom have been part of all their club’s 16 matchday squads this season, in the second row with Tiki Nayalo at no.8.

Josh Barton swaps starting and replacement scrum-half roles with Maunder while powerful second-row Rhys Anstey makes a welcome return to the bench after missing six games with a leg injury.

They are joined among the replacements by fly-half Theo Mannion who is in line to make his seasonal Coventry bow should he emerge from the sidelines.

Having claimed a bonus point success when the clubs met at Lady Bay in the opening round of this season’s cup competition, Cov go into tomorrow’s return game knowing that a repeat performance would set up a mouth-watering clash with unbeaten pool-topping Northampton in seven days’ time.

Leicester Tigers, who also currently retain hopes of qualifying as either winners of Pool B or one of the three best pool stage runners-up, host the Saints in a must-win game tomorrow, before travelling to Nottingham and Cov in rounds five and six.

Rae said his team must bounce back from a below-par league display when they last faced Nottingham in late December if they are to take another step towards qualification for the last eight.

He said: “Our last performance in the league against Nottingham was disappointing so while we don’t owe them one we certainly need to give a better account of ourselves than we did that day.

“We’re expecting them to come to the Butts Park Arena full of confidence and try to play a really attacking brand of rugby, run from all over the pitch and try to put tempo on the game at every opportunity.”

Coventry: Charlie Robson; David Opoku, Ryan Hutler, Daf-Rhys Tiueti, Jimmy Martin; Tommy Mathews, Sam Maunder; Toby Trinder, Jordon Poole, Eliot Salt; Obinna Nkwocha, James Tyas; Tom Ball, Aaron Hinkley, Senitiki Nayalo

Replacements: Will Biggs, Jevaughn Warren, Vilikesa Nairau, Rhys Anstey, Dan Okeke, Josh Barton, Tom Hitchcock, Theo Mannion