ALTHOUGH defeat at Exeter last Saturday may have been expected, it will not be entertained this week when Coventry (kick-off 3pm) visit Park Lane.

Despite the midlands club going full-time, signing 15 new players and benefiting from a summer training camp in Portugal, Tigers’ Director of Rugby Tim Fourie will settle for nothing but victory.

However, he and his charges may suffer a backlash from the ‘Blue & Whites’ who also lost on the opening day, going down 13-40 at home to Doncaster.

“They will have had their backsides kicked all week in training and should be all revved up when they come out against us, but I am convinced we can beat them if we can overcome certain aspects of our game,” he said.

“Our first-up tackling at Exeter was shocking – we missed over 30 tackles – our kicking from hand was poor, we did not get over the gain-line enough and we were not physical enough, so we have been working on those this week in practice.

“Against Exeter we were up against a 45-strong squad who all have played ND1 or even Premiership rugby. It is therefore unfair to compare us to them; they have stepped-up their level of professionalism, I mean Tony Yapp didn’t make the team but he would walk into any other side. We are not blessed with loads of money, because that’s what rugby at this level all boils down to.”

It is that reality that has to be accepted if Sedgley are to survive another season in the game’s second tier.

“We are not going to compete with Exeter for promotion; we are looking to avoid finishing in the bottom four. We go into every game aiming to win, but when we face teams like Exeter realistically we are looking to come away with whatever we can points-wise.

“In contrast Coventry are a team we are targeting, along with the next three sides we face – Launceston, Newbury and Esher. We are aiming for at least three wins out of the four, beginning with Coventry.

“We have to believe we can win and not let negativity on the field get to us; whether it is a refereeing decision, a handling error or a missed tackle. We all make mistakes but we have to learn from them and not make them repeatedly.

“Against ‘Ex’ we competed for 15 minutes in the first half and 25 minutes in the second half but we have to do it for at least 75 minutes if we are going to win games. Against Coventry we will have to be far more clinical and physical, maintain our focus and play our parts individually and as a team.”

Unfortunately, with the season barely one game old Fourie already has a mini injury crisis on his hands, as his already slim squad suffered further setbacks.

“Chris Briers is still struggling with a dead-leg, Tom Albinson damaged knee ligaments and ‘Jay-lo’ (Jan Van DeVenter) also picked up another knock against Exeter,” he explained.

“At prop we really have problems. Phil Gazzola’s Achilles tendon is not responding as we had hoped and Gerallt Evans could be out for the season with a knee injury. So all we have at the moment is Petrus Du Plessis and Martin Halsall on loan from Sale; they are the only one’s who are match fit and have experience at ND1 level. If anything happens to those two we really are struggling.

“On a positive note Phil Jones may be fit enough to go on the bench and Andy Craig came through a second team game unscathed, so he is in contention. We will just have to wait and see.”

TEAM NEWS

THE Tigers team to face Coventry sees two changes in personnel and one positional change from the one that went down to Exeter.

Winger Tom Albinson, who picked up a knee injury against the Chiefs, is replaced by former Scotland star Andy Craig, who joins Freeman Payne in the threequarters, while Chris Hall moves out to the flank.

In the second row Glen Townson is preferred to Juan Crous, who drops to the bench where he joins centre Chris Briers and fly-half Phil Joes, who are both included for the first time this season after overcoming injury.

Meanwhile injury robs the visiting Blues of Hendry Rheeders, Sam Montague, Dai Maddocks, Stuart Friswell, and Mike Walls.

SEDGLEY TIGERS        v          COVENTRY

Matt RILEY                   15         Ben TOFT
Chris HALL                    14         Kurt JOHNSON
Andy CRAIG                  13         Ben RUSSELL (c)
Freeman PAYNE           12         Donovan SANDERS
Jan VAN DEVENTER     11         George DIXON
Steve NUTT                   10         Myles DORRIAN
Jamie ALBINSON          9          Nathan JONES
Petrus DU PLESSIS      1          Carl RIMMER
Jonny RODDAM            2          Chris WHITEHEAD
Martin HALSALL            3          Rudi BRITS
Tim FOURIE                  4          Ian NIMMO
Glen TOWNSON            5          Ollie HODGE
Adam NEWTON            6          Henno VENTNER
Jimmy PONTON (c)       7          Jamie MILLAR
Jon SKURR                   8          Laurie MCGLONE

Danny BIRCHALL          16         Richard PROTHEROUGH
Paul KEYS                    17         Ricky WHITEHALL
Juan CROUS                 18         Gregor GILLANDERS
Ed NORRIS                   19         Darren CLAYTON
Phil JONES                   20         Tom SLATER
Chris WILKINSON          21         Ronnie MCLEAN
Chris BRIERS                22         Logan KIRISOME