Coventry face their day of destiny

RUGBY director Phil Maynard will lift his squad for one final effort at the Butts Park Arena tomorrow to secure the win over Rotherham which will guarantee their place in the Championship next season. Cov began with a 21-12 victory over the Yorkshire visitors on the opening day of the season and the same is needed to ensure safety from relegation at the end of a rollercoaster campaign which

has seen the club come back from administration and the brink of collapse.

Whatever the result, Cov would still be safe should Moseley beat Birmingham & Solihull in the other pool game at Billesley Common – a result that would leave Bees at the foot of the table – but Maynard insists that Cov have to be masters of their own destiny.

“We have to make sure we do it ourselves,” he said. “It’s a huge game for the future of the club, but it is in our hands and we do not want to be reliant on others.

“Even in the depths of despair in December, when the club’s whole existence was in the balance, I always felt it would come down to this final game.

“We didn’t play well at Moseley last week when we had our first chance to secure our safety, but we have not dwelt on that and we all know what has to be done this time. The players have been very upbeat and know the significance of the game, they are all saying the right things, and there is a bit of nervous tension about.

“It’s too late now to talk about consistency, it is all about one big performance, and they want to be Championship players next season.”

Reports from Rotherham suggest that they will play an open, no-kicking game, but Maynard insists that this – and the fact that the visitors were given a week off from training after their last game – will have no bearing on Cov’s approach.

“We’re aware that Rotherham are going to throw the ball all over the place and that can be dangerous if it comes off,” he said. “But I don’t think the fact that they are already safe and have had a week off will make any difference to them tomorrow – they are probably playing together as a squad for the last time and will want to say goodbye with a good performance as well as doing it for their coach Craig West in his final game at the club. We have to concentrate on our game, defend well, use our ball correctly and make sure we make no mistakes.”

Backs coach Tommy Hayes comes in at fly-half for his game management skills with Fangatapu Apikotoa going back to centre at the expense of Chris Lewis, and Ollie Grove is preferred to Kurt Johnson on the wing.

In the pack, Ross McMillan returns at hooker and Jamie Hall has recovered from a shoulder injury picked up at Moseley to pack down at tight head.

Rob Dugard starts at loose head with Dai Maddocks kept in reserve on the bench after also taking a knock last week.

Coventry: Russell; Grove, Mackenzie, Apikotoa, J Lewis; Hayes, Jones; Dugard, McMillan, Hall, Venter, Dechartres, Carpenter, Askew, Shaw. Replacements to be named.

Rotherham Titans: (probable) Henderson; Feeley, Maggs, Buckley, Swatkins; Whitehead, Chivers; Voisey, Conroy, O’Donnell, Challinor, Barnes, Kleeburger, DuPlessis, Burrows. Replacements: West, Allen, Stimpson, Prescott, Batty, Hayter, Swindall.