Double blow for Cov.

Flanker Alex Nash underwent knee surgery yesterday morning and will not figure again before the New Year, and on-loan prop Adam Parkins – the side’s leading try scorer – has been recalled by Northampton with England under-18 tight head Danny Herriott moving in the opposite direction.

With Jamie Miller and Gareth Turner out until the New Year, rugby director Phil Maynard has taken Jethro Rawling, 20, on loan from Leicester as cover for Nash and he will be on the replacements bench tomorrow.

“These things happen and it’s a test of the squad’s resilience,” said Maynard. “You are always going to suffer injuries and setbacks, it’s part and parcel of a competitive season and we have got to get on with it.

“We don’t yet know how long Alex will be out, it depends on what the surgeons found and it could be two to four weeks or up to eight, while Adam’s performances have clearly caught the eye.”

Jamie Harrop and Matt Weller come in for Nash and Parkins tomorrow in an otherwise unchanged side after last week’s outstanding 29-26 win over leaders Ealing.

The game pits fourth against fifth in the table with Jersey, who would be in second place but for a five-point deduction for a breach of regulations and whose squad includes Cov old boys Donovan Sanders and Dai Maddocks, on a run of eight straight wins.

“There has been a tremendous mood in our camp all season, topped off by a great win over Ealing,” said Maynard.

“But the point has to be made that we have not won anything yet, we’ve just beaten the top side. What happened at Fylde after our win over Rosslyn Park was a big disappointment, we didn’t quite have the edge and were well beaten which is what happens when you are not fully on your game.

“The key is to put in two big performances to take it to its logical conclusion. If we can do that, we can move on to phase two.

“Jersey will be a real test for us and we have got to deal with it but if everybody plays their part we will be more than competitive, and we are looking to go and win it.”

Coventry: Russell; O’Connor, McDonald, Myring, Stevens; Read, Barker; Waller, Price, Weller, Mather, Herrington, Harrop, Daynes, Tibbatts. Reps: Richards, Murray, Beales, Ager, Rawling