Davey joined Cov last summer as specialist skills and backs coach, and had been in overall charge of coaching - working alongside forwards coach Dave Addleton - for the last nine games following Murray Henderson's move from head coach to a new community development role.

Over the same nine-game period Davey had also come out of retirement to play at fly-half in response to Cov's disappointing results on the field and a number of injuries.

Unhappy at the performance of a number of players in Cov's National Trophy defeat at Exeter two weeks ago, Davey requested that three - backs Donovan Sanders and Myles Dorrian, and back row forward Hendry Rheeders - be left out of the starting side to play at Moseley last week, but was unhappy that he was then not allowed to include them on the replacements bench.

It is believed that matter came to a head yesterday when the team, including Sanders and Dorrian, that he put forward for Saturday's home game against Plymouth Albion was questioned at the selection meeting.

"I felt I had no choice but to resign on a point of principal," said Davey last night. "The sad thing is I think it is a great club and I've loved every minute of it here.

"That's what hurts the most, but when it comes to principals and morals, that has to be my priority.

"If things didn't go well and we ended up 11th or 12th in the table, then sack me. If I can't do the job, fine. I would have no problem accepting that.

"Dave and I wanted to make a stand by dropping three players who hadn't been playing well, but we would have put them on the bench and we were told to leave them off. When I then said that we wanted Myles and Donovan in the team this week but was told they weren't going to be playing, I had to make a stand. I can't pick a team as coach and be told that's not the team that is playing.

"I felt I was doing a good job and had the backing of the players, and I do think we had the start of something good here. I really appreciate the way the players had bought into something different, and to not see things come to fruition is disappointing."

Green confirmed last night that Addleton would be asked to take charge of the team on Saturday, and that Sanders and Dorrian would be playing.

"We have been doing selection on a committee basis for a while and were doing it when Murray was head coach," said Green, who sat in at the meetings as temporary rugby director along with the coaches, physio Julie Snow and team manager Tony Gulliver. "It's important that the physio and others have an input.

"The selection Brett wanted has actually been made. He had put the players on personal improvement plans and there had to be a proper discussion before they were picked again. There was a process to go through.

"Brett said he was resigning and left the meeting before this was done, and it was thern agreed that the players would sent a letter to say that because of their response in training to what had happened, they would be given the chance to play again."

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