HUDDERSFIELD tackle Rugby Lions at Lockwood Park tomorrow with Director of Rugby Mark Sowerby declaring: “This is a chance to cut the gap on clubs above us.”
After their defeat at Macclesfield, Sowerby is seeking a repeat of the previous show against Broadstreet when his side do battle at 3.00.
Sowerby watched his team bombard Broadstreet with a six-try salvo, while at the same time keeping their opponents try-less, and although the Lockwood Park club’s supremo knows Rugby Lions will pose a much bigger threat than Broadstreet did, he will be urging for much the same effort.
“If we can repeat the same attitude we had against Broadstreet, then I’m confident we can come away with a notch under W in the table,” insisted Sowerby.
“We can reflect on last week’s beating at Macclesfield, learn from it and put it behind us. After all they are a really, really good side.
“And although we know very well that Rugby will have far more to offer than Broadstreet did, they are nowhere near as good a team as Macclesfield.
“I really see this game as a great opportunity to claw back some of the points on those teams above us.”
Huddersfield make a couple of changes with James Wood going onto the wing and prop Tony Stringwell returning to the front row.
Sowerby’s other big positional change sees Gareth Lewis, Nick Sharpe and Dan Hyde start in the back row where he has gone for the bigger bulk, leaving skipper Mark Whitehead on the bench.
Both hookers James Davies and Francis Entressengle took big hits last week, but both have reported fit to face Rugby, with Davies starting.
Earlier in the season Rugby beat Huddersfield 34-27.
Huddersfield: Owen, Van Vuuren, Johnson, Paxman (B), Wood; Duffy, Clayton; Slater, Davies, Stringwell, Rhodes, Harris, Lewis, Sharpe, Hyde. Subs: Whitehead, Battye, Entressengle, Andrews, Van Rooyen.
