By John Wilkinson
November 19 2010

COVENTRY defend a three-match winning run at London Scottish tomorrow with a warning against over-confidence from rugby director Phil Maynard.Successive wins over Wharfedale, Launceston and Blackheath have lifted Cov towards mid-table in National League One, and the side has taken points from each of their last five games.

But Maynard knows that third-placed Scottish represent another step up and that his players will have to have their minds fully on the job from the opening whistle.

“Morale has been buoyed – as it should be – by winning our last three games, but the success we are now having has been built on hard work and that is what we have got to bring to this game for the whole 80 minutes,” said Maynard.

“The mood at training has been tremendous from the start, but there is a new confidence within the camp which has been building up over the last three weeks.

“We know it’s a tall order against a full-time team, but if we stick to what we know and defend well, then who knows what can happen?

“You can be too over-confident, and that is what everyone has to bear in mind for this game. It’s all about keeping our feet on the ground and our concentration.”

Maynard will make one enforced change from the side that edged out Blackheath 17-16 last weekend, fit-again Reuben Haile returning on the right wing for Jeff Gregson who is unavailable for the next three weeks.

Fly-half Danny Richards, who came off in the opening minutes with a leg injury, is a possible for the starting line-up or the bench if he comes through a fitness test.

Pre-season promotion favourites, Scottish began with three straight defeats but have since won eight in a row to climb to third place in the table.

Head coach Simon Amor had a brief spell at Coventry, making 11 appearances at fly-half in the 1999-2000 season, while winger Roman Piotrowski played two games in the 2003-04 campaign. And player-coach James Brown was fly-half for Cov when the two clubs last met, in the 1997-98 season, and kicked 20 points in the 37-10 home win and 18-18 draw at the Athletic Ground.

Tomorrow’s kick-off is 3pm.

Coventry: Walls; Haile, McDonald, Stevens, Harris; Read or Richards, Audis; Warren, Ager, Kent, Herrington, Weaver, Daynes, Nash, Southern. Reps from: Russell, McGrory, Read, Richards, Beales, Price, Pearson.

It's no time to relax says Coventry coach Maynard

Discussion started by Unofficial Coventry Rugby (IP Logged), 19/11/2010 18:33

Unofficial Coventry Rugby
19/11/2010 18:33

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