Pertemps Bees -v- Coventry

01/10/2005 3PM

Sharmans Cross Road

Pertemps Bees director of rugby Phil Maynard has made six changes to his starting line-up for the National League One local derby against Coventry at Sharmans Cross Road on Saturday October 1 (3pm).
Centre Simon Martin, winger Nick Baxter, prop Matt Long, lock Ben Hughes, flanker Guillaume Scheuller and number eight Duncan White have all been brought into the side from the one that started at Sedgley Park last week.
Scheuller, a summer recruit from Orrell, will be making his first start having recovered from a cut eye sustained at Sedgley Park where he scored a try to help Pertemps Bees to a 33-33 draw.
Prop Adrian Olver, who captained Coventry last season, flanker Cae Trayhern, number eight Jim Jenner and centre Mike Davies drop to the replacements' bench. But there are no places in the squad for winger Aaron Takarangi and former Wales Under-21 lock Alex Davidson who have been dropped.
"We are still smarting from the roasting Coventry gave us at their place last season and we expect this to be another hard local derby," Maynard said.
"We have picked a team of battlers as a consequence. This is very much a horses for courses selection."
Hooker Rob Elloway has not made the squad even though he is free to play again having completed a two-match suspension imposed by Gloucester for striking an opponent in a Guinness A League match against Bath earlier this month. 

Head Coach Umaga confirmed that Coventry will stick to their game plan and are keen to play direct, consistent rugby in order to claim full points. He feels discipline will be vital to combat the high number of penalties the team has recently incurred in games, the latest arguably costing Coventry a victory last week at Doncaster. With several encouraging signings in recent weeks and hopefully a numerically large and vocal away support on Saturday Coventry will be seeking to perform against their old rivals.

Coventry squad from: Davies, Harvey, Geraghty, Tiueti, Richards, Witkowski, Sanders, Moore, Higgins, Chrystie, Walls, Siveter, Pulu, Protherough, Pale, Campton, Gulliver, Gravell, Venter, Rheeders, T.Johnson, Buckingham, Bucknall, Clapham.

Steve McCormack’s Preview:

11^th placed Pertemps Bees entertain eighth placed Coventry at Sharmans Cross knowing a win will take the above their Midlands rivals.

This will be the Bees third home match of the season and to date they lost on the opening day of the season against Championship favourites Harlequins but next time out they were winners over Plymouth Albion 24-13.     

Coventry played away for the first time last week after starting with three home fixtures and were beaten at Doncaster narrowly in a high scoring match 31-29.

Coventry did the double over the Bees last season including a 19-15 win at Sharmans Cross Road having hammered them at the Butts Arena 50-7.

Steve’s Prediction: Bees by seven

My prediction: 14-12 to Bees

Form Guide:

Pertemps Bees: LWLD

Coventry: LLWL

Other Matches:

Bedford v Cornish Pirates, 15:00
Earth Titans v Exeter, 15:00
Harlequins v Doncaster, 15:00
Nottingham v London Welsh, 15:00
Otley v Sedgley Park, 15:00
Plymouth Albion v Newbury, 15:00

THE PREDICTIONS LEAGUE IS NOW OPEN AND READY FOR ACTION!

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