By John Wilkinson, Coventry Telegraph
March 19 2010

ALL bets are off as Coventry start from scratch at Rotherham tomorrow in the first of six relegation play-off games which will define their whole Championship season. The two sides were separated by 31 points at the end of the regular programme, including the 15 deducted from Cov for going into administration in December, but everything that has happened over the last six-and-a-half months counts for nothing and whoever finishes bottom of the four-team league – which also involves Moseley and Birmingham & Solihull – will be playing in National Division One next season.

And Maynard insists that Cov’s heavy 41-11 defeat at Rotherham just four weeks ago will have no real bearing on what happens at Clifton Lane tomorrow with the stakes high for both sides.

“A month ago, Rotherham were fighting for their lives and we weren’t – we knew we would be in the bottom four,” said Maynard. “The difference this time is that now we are both in the same position.

“The players are fully aware of what these six games mean, and nobody is under any illusion about the importance of staying up.

“Whatever the result this week, it won’t be terminal at this stage, but we want to put down a marker for the games to come. We know that we have to put in a much better performance than the last time we were up here. Rotherham are always tough to beat on their own ground and they will come at us from the start but our view is let’s give them some storm of our own to weather.

“We need to be focused and concentrate for the whole 80 minutes and we have got to learn how to win close games like we expect this one to be.

“Looking across the whole season, we have conceded early scores in a lot of games and also been more vulnerable when we’ve just scored ourselves. These are two key areas we’ve looked at this week.”

Skipper Aaron Carpenter and Fangatapu Apikotoa are both ruled out through injury this week, on-loan Alex Shaw returning at No.8 and Ben Russell continuing at fly-half, while Maynard brings back winger Romain Plantey and prop Jamie Hall as changes to the starting XV from Nottingham last week.

“We’ve had a good week’s training and the mood is very good,” added Maynard. “We’ve lost a couple of players, but we are as we are and now the talking is over, it’s time to roll up our sleeves and show what we are worth.”

The absence of Carpenter and Matt Dwyer, who suffered a fractured jaw at Rotherham last month, means that Cov are without a back-up hooker for Ross McMillan, and Maynard was hoping to secure an emergency loan signing today with RFU backing.

Coventry: Mahony; Plantey, Mackenzie, C Lewis, J Lewis; Russell, Jones; Maddocks, McMillan, Hall, McGowan, Herrington, Askew, Bignell, Shaw. Reps: Dugard, Roberts, Brenton, Venter, Pons, Davies, Walls

Cov begin relegation play-off battle

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 19/03/2010 16:36

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
19/03/2010 16:36

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Coventry Steve
20/03/2010 09:27

I think Rotherham will be in for a shock, Coventry will be well up for this game and all the other play off games.A win today would be great.
If Shaw plays he will be a powerhouse for us in the forwards
COME ON COV!

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