HEAD coach Dan Hyde sends out a trio of new faces when his Huddersfield RU side embark on a new National II North season tomorrow with a tough home game against Caldy (3.00).
Former Morley second row Tom Hanson starts in the pack’s engine room alongside James Bodsworth, while in the backs there are starting slots for two other newcomers, Ben Mitchell and Jack Moon.
A Leeds University student, who also had a spell with Morley, Moon gets the chance to show what he can do at full-back following the elevation of Tom Owen up to fly-half – the position occupied for the last half-a-dozen seasons by Chris Johnson, while Mitchell is selected at outside centre to partner Lee Paxman, appointed vice-captain this season.
In the pack, the front three and back three are all familiar faces, James Davies coming it at hooker in the continued absence of Ben Morrill, who may be out until Christmas following a knee operation, while Alex Battye and Tony Stringwell pack down at prop.
George Hinchliff and Ben Hoyle are the wing forwards with Nick Sharpe, continuing as skipper, at No8.
New backs player/coach Scott Benton starts the opening fixture of the new season on the bench, where he is joined by another new recruit Ross Thornton, who has moved down from the YMCA.
The Wirral-based Caldy team finished second in the table last season, but were beaten in the end-of-season play-offs for the second promotion spot.
“Coming up against Caldy to start the season will be a good test for us,” said Hyde, who as well as being without the influential Morrill, has also been robbed of second row star Gavin Rhodes and another new signing from Laund Hill, hooker Niall Murphy.
“We had two good games against Caldy last season, when they were unlucky not to win the play-offs and gain promotion.
“I was happy with the way we went against Blaydon last week in the warm-up game when they only broke our line a couple of time in the last few minutes, and I’m hoping we can build on that performance.”
Huddersfield: Moon; Hall, Scrimshaw, Mitchell, L Paxman; Owen, Hinchliffe; Battye, J Davies, Stringwell, Hanson, Bodsworth, Hinchliff, Hoyle, Sharpe. Subs: Benton, Armitage, T Davies, Thornton, Knight.
