By Paul Smith 
Play-makers Liam Richman and Tommy Mathews combine in Coventry’s starting line-up for just the third time this season when Doncaster visit the Butts Park Arena tomorrow (3pm kick off).
Leading points scorer Richman switches to full back with Mathews in his preferred fly half role against a Knights side who finished 2024 with a home win over Hartpury.
Head coach Alex Rae also names the pacy David Opoku on the right wing with seasonal ever-present Ryan Hutler moving to the outside centre shirt he last wore in Cornwall before Christmas.
Cov’s December player-of-the-month Daf Tiueti partners Hutler in midfield with leading try-scorer Jimmy Martin and Josh Barton respectively retained on the left wing and at scrum-half.
In the pack, Eliot Salt is given a first start of the season at tight-head with 24-year-old Dutch prop Mink Scharink who has arrived at the BPA on loan from Loughborough Students providing cover from the bench.
Otherwise Cov opt for the same front five that started their last-time-out defeat at Nottingham with Jordon Poole as usual skippering the side from hooker.
Aaron Hinkley has recovered from the knock that kept him out of his club’s round 10 defeat at Lady Bay to appear on the openside flank as part of a back-row completed by Tom Ball and Senitiki Nayalo.
Newly-arrived Exeter scrum-half Sam Maunder is in line to make his Coventry debut from the bench where he is joined by the pacy Charlie Robson and Tom Hitchcock.
Youthful forwards Jevaughn Warren, Dan Green and Chester Owen join Scharink and hooker Will Biggs in being named as the five forward replacements.
Cov have won their last four games against Doncaster but according to Rae are wary of their experienced opponents whose most recent away win came at the Trailfinders Park home of league leaders Ealing.
“Doncaster have some really talented players and some dangerous match-winners so if we’re not where we need to be we’ll get hurt by them,” he said.
“We’re full expecting a really tough game and we’re going to have to be at our best to get a win.”
Coventry: Liam Richman; David Opoku, Ryan Hutler, Daf-Rhys Tiueti, Jimmy Martin; Tommy Mathews, Josh Barton; Toby Trinder, Jordon Poole, Eliot Salt; Obinna Nkwocha, James Tyas; Tom Ball, Aaron Hinkley, Senitiki Nayalo
Replacements: Will Biggs, Jevaughn Warren, Mink Scharink, Dan Green, Chester Owen, Sam Maunder, Tom Hitchcock, Charlie Robson
Match tickets for Cov’s home game against Doncaster on Saturday can be purchased at https://www.coventryrugby.co.uk/tickets/matchday-tickets/
