HIGH-flying Caldy are confident of staging the National III North clash against Huddersfield tomorrow on the Wirral (3.00)
But if the game does go ahead, Huddersfield’s Director of Rugby Mark Sowerby will be demanding a marked improvement from the side which folded so disappointingly in the second half against Kendal last week.
“We’ve struggled to beat Kendal every time over the last couple of years, and leading 14-0 at the interval this was our best chance to get one over on them,” admitted Sowerby.
“But we literally threw it away in the second half!
“The really disappointing thing was that we didn’t put up any defence or show any character in that second 40 minutes.
“Key people just ‘went missing’ and that is unforgivable.
“Now we have to move on and hope we have learned something from it.”
Sowerby has named two definite changes for tomorrow’s starting line-up with skipper Mark Whitehead – who was on the bench last week and then had to play on the wing when he did come on – back into his normal wing forward slot.
Whitehead’s inclusion comes at the expense of No8 Nick Sharpe, who has been relegated to the bench, with Barry Jacobsz moving to the back row behind George Hinchliff who had a great first half against Kendal, and scoring a very good try.
The other change is at prop, where young Academy player Sam Slater (pictured) starts in place of the unavailable Jack McPhail.
Sowerby has a concern over Adam Sutcliffe however, the left-winger having suffered a hamstring pull last week, so Academy wing Matt Clarke comes onto the bench as cover.
Another of Huddersfield’s promising Academy players, Alex Battye is also called up for bench duty to join Chris Gough, Sharpe, James Mortimore and Sowerby.
“We need to rebound, and quickly. We’ve only won once in the last five League outings, and although we are not looking over our shoulder, we have to halt the trend,” added the coach.
“I know we have had a run of tough games, but we should certainly have got a lot more out of the last two (at Macclesfield and at home to Kendal) than we did.
“Now I’m looking for everyone in the side to show some spirit and character and prove that this team have some steel.
“Caldy have been going well, although they too lost last week to Preston Grasshoppers which cost them the top-of-the-table spot, so I’m expecting them also to bounce back this week.”
Huddersfield: Shaw, Sutcliffe, L Paxman, B Paxman, M Johnson, C Johnson, Clayton; Slater, Davies, Stringwell, Harris, Rhodes, Hinchliff, Whitehead, Jacobsz. Subs: Gough, Sharpe, Battye, Clarke, Mortimore, Sowerby.
