By John Wilkinson - CET
September 30 2006

Coventry’s improved away form will be put squarely to the test tomorrow at early leaders Plymouth Albion, who are the only side in National Division One with a 100-per-cent record after four games.

 

Cov are making their second trip to the west country in the space of three weeks, following on from a 13-13 draw at Exeter where they dominated the first half hour, and they took maximum points at Sedgley Park on the opening day of the season.

 

But their form hasn't been as impressive at the Butts Park Arena, where they lost to Rotherham before edging a 15-14 win over Moseley last weekend, and it has prompted head coach Mike Umaga and his back-room team to do some hard thinking.

 

"We have performed really well away, but our two home games haven't been the best," conceded Umaga.

 

"We use our bus trips to focus on what the players have to do, making sure everything is right in terms of eating and drinking, so maybe we have got to look at changing a few things in the build-up for home games to get the same affect.

 

"Plymouth is definitely a place where you have to have your wits about you, and with a four of five hour journey you have to be mentally strong to get through it all.

 

"We have to go down totally focused on the way we are going to play, and I'm quite confident we can come through it well."

 

Plymouth are traditionally strong in the forwards under ex-England hooker Graham Dawe, and Umaga expects nothing different tomorrow.

 

"Graham Dawe is pretty insular in the way he likes his sides to play and I don't think this year will be any different.

 

"One thing for sure is that they will be competent in the driving maul.

 

"I don't think he has the same strength pack as two or three years ago, but in saying that he probably has a more balanced squad.

 

"We have to keep everything simple, play in the right positions and be more clinical - in all our four games our ball retention and our composure in the hot zone hasn't been consistent.

 

"Our positional kicking wasn't good either against Moseley and there is no excuse for that.

 

"But having had a number of one-point losses last season, it was good for the boys to experience what it's like to come away with a win.

 

"We didn't play to our best, but we still took the four points which is what we set out to do in the first place and the experience of a local derby will help a lot of them.

 

"Hopefully we have learnt from it and we will see a different Cov down at Plymouth."

 

Umaga will finalise his squad after a number of late fitness tests with winger George Dixon (hand), fly-half Ben Russell (shoulder), Mike Walls (back) and Hendry Rheeders (groin) all hoping to be given the all clear.

 

Hooker Stuart Friswell returns to face the club he played for last season, while Cov will come up against second row Ben Gulliver who moved on to Albion in the summer after four seasons at his home city club.

 

Coventry: from Stewart, Dixon, Takarangi, K Johnson, Montague, Toft, Sanders, Geraghty, Binham, Russell, Dorrian, Walls, James, Rimmer, Brits, Siveter, Wyn Davies, Friswell, Protherough, Tonkin, Campton, Nimmo, Rheeders, T Johnson, O'Connor, W Johnson, Venter, Clayton.

 

* COVENTRY'S Development side play their first fixture of the season on Wednesday night against Nuneaton Development at Liberty Way.