By Paul Smith 
Coventry’s hopes of extending their unbeaten start to the league season to seven games have been boosted by the return of leading points scorer Liam Richman.
After missing his club’s last three games with a leg injury sustained during the cup win at Nottingham the former Hawick skipper is named for the first time this season at full back.
As a result Jimmy Martin shifts from the no.15 shirt he wore in Cov’s round six win at Ampthill back to his more customary left wing berth.
Head coach Alex Rae retains Tom Hitchcock and Daf Tiueti in the centre for an eighth consecutive match while fly half Tommy Mathews faces his former club for a first time since joining the Blue-and-Whites in the Summer.
Josh Barton returns at scrum half which means last week’s try-scorer Will Lane joins winger David Opoku as backs on a bench which again contains six forwards.
Cov retain the starting front row that performed strongly in Bedfordshire last Saturday with fit-again loose head Jevaughn Warren named among the replacements.
Lineout specialist James Tyas is joined by Obi Nkwocha in the second row with Rhys Anstey providing bench cover.
With back-rower Tom Ball taking a well-earned rest, Aaron Hinkley returns to the openside flank with the versatile Matt Kvesic this week operating on the blindside and Tiki Nayalo reverting to no.8.
Hartpury arrive at the BPA on the back of a fine run of league form which has brought four wins and a narrow defeat at Bedford in their last five games.
Rae is therefore anticipating a stern examination against opponents whose Autumn win at the Butts in 2023 ended Cov’s 15-match winning home sequence.
“The memory of that defeat is still painful for me,” he said.
“We fell below the standards we set that day and must now ensure we perform to the level of which we are capable this weekend.
“Hartpury have made a really good start to the season and have shown how capable they are of mixing their game through a strong pack and some good attacking back play so I’m expecting a tough test.”
Coventry: Liam Richman; Ryan Hutler, Dafydd-Rhys Tiueti, Tom Hitchcock, Jimmy Martin; Tommy Mathews, Josh Barton; Toby Trinder, Jordon Poole, Matt Johnson; James Tyas, Obinna Nkwocha; Matt Kvesic, Aaron Hinkley, Senitiki Nayalo
Replacements: Will Biggs, Jevaughn Warren, Eliot Salt, Rhys Anstey, Dan Okeke, Will Lane, David Opoku, Chester Owen
Match tickets for Cov’s home game against Hartpury on Saturday can be purchased at https://www.coventryrugby.co.uk/tickets/matchday-tickets/
