Match Preview

Holt welcome Rochford Hundred to Bridge Road tomorrow in what will be the first of two home games against teams from Essex and represent the Club’s best chance to begin their battle in earnest to avoid relegation. Just eight games remain for the North Norfolk Owl Blacks to claw their way back into the fight for survival in London 2 North East.

Two weeks ago Holt started horrendously at Ipswich conceding fifteen points inside 20 minutes and went into the second half losing by 19 points. Despite a gallant fight back that saw the young Holt team get to within a whisker before finally losing by fifteen points proving a poor start can be as fatal as failing to go the distance.

Whilst Holt were losing Rochford were pulling off a shock five pointer over high flying Cantabs stretching their gap over Holt to fourteen points. The fact that the Cantabs squad contained only seven members of the team that comprehensively beat Holt in November is scant consolation as the five points gained by Rochford in this fixture puts them in a good position to avoid the drop. Although Rochford have only won one previous fixture away this season with a 20-34 victory at bottom placed Campion although they were very unlucky to lose at Ipswich whilst Holt were losing heavily to Diss.

The switching on this week of Holt’s new training lights will be a great boost to team moral as the previous lights in the words of President, Paul Williams, “They were just not fit for purpose!” The new lights will certainly improve the players ability to put in good sessions ahead of games and will be seen a making up a vital part of Holt’s recovery.

The other bit of positive news for the Club is the re-launch today of the Club website, HoltRFC.com. At the beginning of the season Holt chose to make use of the very popular Pitchero Club website Hosting organization joining 15 of 19 Norfolk Clubs already using Pitchero.

Holt Owls travel to Broadland having slipped to third place in EC3N following a home defeat to Diss 3rds two weeks ago, Kick off will be 2pm, the final early kick of the season as the light continues to improve.

Holt 1st XV from: - A Cole, J Powell, D Canning, S Moyse, R Gray, A Woods, Tim Allen, J Harrison, Jeremy Seaman, B van Poortvliet, B Harvey, T Harrison, A Hughes, H Riley, H Graham, M Humberstone, P Davies, S Shanklin, J Whitesides (KO 2pm)

Holt 2nd Owls away Broadland 2nds: - S Tagg, M Raines, R Walpole, T Rathleff, O Denton, H Perowne, A Boesen, B Collings, B Perowne, J Eustace, C Fowler, T Allen, T Starnes, J Blackmur, R Player, S Wright, (KO2pm)