George Dixon in line for Coventry recall

THREE-QUARTER George Dixon is back in Coventry's squad for the first time in over four months at Newbury tomorrow (3pm). Last season's leading try scorer, Dixon has been out since November 10 with a torn medial knee ligament - picked up, ironically, in the home game against Newbury - but is finally named among the replacements after a patient recovery.

Coach Dave Addleton has made three enforced changes to his starting line-up as Cov go for their fourth successive win which, if achieved, would be their best run of the National Division One season.

Centre Jack Cobden (shoulder), scrum-half Nathan Jones (hamstring) and second row Ollie Hodge (eye) are all ruled out by injuries picked up in the 26-17 home win over Esher last time out two weeks ago.

Ronnie McLean moves inside to centre as Lee Parry is recalled on the wing after time out with a hamstring problem, Mike Walls replaces Jones, and on-loan Greg Gillanders - who has benched for Leicester Tigers in the last two weeks - returns for Hodge.

Cov surrendered a 17-8 half-time lead to go down 22-17 in the home game against Newbury, which was the second in a run of six straight defeats starting the week before at Esher.

"We let things slip and didn't ourselves justice in the second half," said Addleton. "We let them back into the game, and it was one that got away. Like the Esher game, it's another one for us to put right and we have never lost down there."

Newbury are still not safe from relegation, lying four from the bottom of the table, while Cov's recent good form has lifted them above halfway into seventh place.

"We won't be looking at league positions and we know it is going to be a hard game for us," added Addleton. "Newbury are a good side at home and they ran Northampton very close which shows what they are capable of.

"We've trained well this week and we just need to put everything together on the pitch.

"With a forecast of wind and rain I expect it is going to be a big forward battle, and that's where our platform has come from in the last few games.

"The forwards have been doing really well. Our scrum and line-out have been performing, and we haven't been turned over much at all in the contact area which has been a good improvement.

"One concern against Esher was the times we got into their 22 and didn't look after the ball well enough at the back of the ruck.

"We let them counter-ruck which meant that Nathan Jones was receiving poor ball at scrum-half, but we've worked at putting that right and I expect us to be rock solid at the base."