Nottingham Rugby make the journey south this weekend when they face Cornish Pirates in a battle between two teams who have made strong starts to the season.

Heading into the fixture off the back of three consecutive wins, the Green and Whites will be hoping they can continue their fine form in Penzance.

Neil Fowkes has named three changes to the starting XV that beat Doncaster Knights 20-15 last week.

USA international Cameron Dolan will make his debut at second row while Jake Farnworth will start at hooker. 

In the backs, Gearoid Lyons makes his first start of the season at centre to cover the injured Luke Peters. 

Speaking ahead of the game, Head Coach Neil Fowkes said: “Cornish Pirates are an incredibly strong team at this level who have added even more quality over summer.

“They’ve made a great start to The Championship and came close to making it five wins in five last weekend in a tight game against Ealing.

“But equally I feel we’ve shown just how good we can be over the last five games and I think Sunday will be another great advert for Championship rugby.”

Flanker Jordan Coghlan will make his 50th appearance in a Green and White jersey and Head Coach Neil Fowkes has praised the Irishman’s contribution to the side.

“What a fantastic achievement for Jordan. He is a real asset to our side both on and off the pitch and he’s proven time and time again that he is an excellent talent.

“It’s great for him to have reached this landmark and I look forward to seeing him continue to improve in a Nottingham Rugby jersey,” said Neil.

Full team to face Cornish Pirates:

15. Sean Scanlon

14. David Williams

13. Will Millett

12. Geared Lyons

11. Billy Robinson

10. Shane O’Leary

9. Murray McConnell (c)

1. Aniseko Sio

2. Jake Farnworth

3. Mike Daniels

4.Cameron Dolan

5. Danny Qualter

6. Shane Buckley

7. Jordan Coghlan

8. Josh Poullet 

Replacements:

16. Luke Cole

17. Jamie Jack

18. Oisin Heffernan

19. George Cox

20. Will Owen

21. Darryl Veenendaal

22. Jack Spittle

Nottingham Rugby’s next home match sees them face Hartpury RFC on Sunday 14 October. Advance tickets are available via the club’s website at nottinghamrugby.co.uk.