Holt v Southwold (11.12.11)

Holt have always had a good relationship with Southwold, a long distance one but a good one. Great to see them traveling all the way up from Suffolk for this fixture. Although after five minutes they may have regretted honouring the fixture, whether it was the long journey or the fact that Holt were so up for this game from the start, who can tell, it was just that everything seemed to click for the home team.

The notepad had hardly been opened and Callum was under the posts, following a great catch from Alex Storey and a superb straight run breaking through the Southwold lines. Ally popped the conversion over to make it Holt 7: Southwold 0. Callum was soon adding to his tally, sprinting down the wing after a well contested scrum and the won ball being spun out wide, another Ally conversion and the scores were Holt 14: Southwold 0 in the blink of an eye.

Ally creeps up on an unsuspecting ball.

The Holt scrums were looking solid, George Robson really leading the pack in, calling the 'hit, one, two, three'. Ollie Ross and Ben in the 2nd row driving the front row on against much larger opponents, the back row alert and ready. Another Holt score was soon on the cards, this time from Matti making what is becoming one of his trademark straight strong runs through the middle, to go under the posts and Ally again converting. Holt 21 : Southwold 0.

As much as Southwold were looking to get back into the game, Holt just kept on coming back, through hard work and great tackling, they really didn't want to concede a try. The Holt forwards were having to battle against a good strong pack but they kept at it and whenever the ball come out on the visitor's side the Holt three-quarters were straight up and in their faces, looking to turn the ball over. And this is exactly what happened to give Holt another score, Alex and Callum combining well to rip the ball off an isolated Southwold player and Callum was away to complete his hat-trick. No conversion this time.

Scrum time.

And then another. This one from Simmo, a classic solo effort, straight from the start down the left wing and with a chip on the last defender, a nice controlled grubber kick, he was over to score. These latest two tries taking the scores to Holt 31: Southwold 0. The talk from the sidelines was all about what a superb display they were witnessing. Great stuff and a real advert for the way the Holt u14s can play the game.

It was then Matti's turn to add to his earlier score, taking the ball well, spinning out of a couple of tackles and then straightening up and speeding away to score under the posts. A simple conversion took the score to Holt 38: Southwold 0. Everything was working well, great hands giving good distribution which can only be achieved with support runners. It was following one of these periods of linked up play that Jerry then came as close as he has to scoring his first competitive try, breaking from the side of a maul and bursting forward, only to be held up on the 5metre line. So close but an example of how so many of the Holt players have improved in not only their ability but also their confidence. Great to see. Another example of this was Jack Brady joining in the fray putting great pressure on the opposition. Not to be outdone Caz then got stuck in, taking the ball on and into contact. Good to see everyone really going for it. Theo then added to the score after a very well won scrum 10metres out from the Southwold line, picking the ball from the back of the scrum, keeping low and driving over in the corner, showing good strength.

A gaggle of Holt players.

 Jack Brady then scored his first for the club, a special moment for any player, at any level. This one coming just as Southwold were starting to look more and more threatening and getting closer to the Holt 22. Matti broke, with Callum and Jack in support, an off-load from Callum set Jack free to make the score, even though he still had plenty of ground to make. Jamie converted and the whistle blew for half-time, the score was Holt 50: Southwold 0.

Jamie rehearses for next years Strictly.

Although Holt had been rolling subs on and off all morning, even more changes were made at half-time, looking to see players in a variety of positions. Southwold were definitely the stronger team at the start of the half and were certainly threatening the Holt line. This was until a super run at speed and from a very good angle by Alex, who passed back to Simmo to score in the corner. The tricky conversion was missed. Southwold then delivered what they had threatened to do from the start of the 2nd half, their big No. 8, Joe picking from a won scrum and driving over from 10 metres. A second score from Southwold soon followed their first and this one came from a good move, a neat side-step and good running from one of the visitor's stand-out players, Luke. The converted try made it Holt 55: Southwold 12.

'Come on Jerry'

Holt were not going to finish on a low and several phases of play with Alex running some great lines, Jack tackling everything and looking dangerous, Caz linking well and slipping through tackles, Robbo trying out at No.8, Sam Crafer playing really well at scrum-half and Dean boshing everything in sight. The last try of the game though was one to behold, a super all-round try. The forwards winning the scrum, Alexander and Jerry having to work hard all morning, giving a good platform to Sam to deliver to the backs, Caz joining in to add options. Matti received the ball, broke through and Jack was on his shoulder in a perfect position to take the ball at speed and go over to seal the victory. Jack then won the crossbar challenge and the final score was a very impressive Holt 60: Southwold 12.

Brilliant rugby, excellent teamwork and what a way to win the last game of the year. Well done everyone who came on, all performed superbly.

Race Night

Well done to everyone who came to the Race Night last Friday and for all the helpers who made the night possible. Special thanks to David Hitcham (Club Treasurer) for running the Tote and organising the races, Jamal and Tracey for putting on a superb supper, Gina and Liz for selling horses and raffle tickets, Sean and Penny for running the bar and all the parents who brought along a pud.

And they're off!

A lot of fun was had with everyone joining in the spirit of the night, 'buying' horses, betting on the Tote and screaming their heads off as their selected mounts either did the business and won or became contenders for the next tin of Pedigree Chum.

'I'll 'ave a monkey on number four.'

The total takings for the night, including ticket sales, Tote, horse ownership, raffle and the auction of the horses came to just over £1,000. Another great step towards our fundraising total to pay for all the boys to go to Morocco. Well done and thank you all.

Holt v Diss Match Report (27.11.11)

A clear bright but windy day greeted our visitors from Diss, A club we have a good rapport with and a team who always give us a good game.

It does what it says on the tin.

The game started very competitively with Diss looking to push Holt back in to their 22. Then came a break from Matti from the midfield and he looked like he was through to the line but the Diss fullback, Jordan, chased him all the way and managed to tackle him just short, however, excellent support from Jamie meant he could take the ball on and then off-load to Ally who scored in the corner. No conversion. It wasn't long before Holt were on the offensive again, some great play by all the team to build the platforms for others to break through, this time a couple of secured rucks released Matti for another break and this time he wasn't going to be caught. No conversion again, the gusting wind really proving difficult.

Scrum time, fun time.

Diss started to come back into the game, putting more and more pressure on the Holt defence, they were winning more scrums and spreading the ball wide, looking to penetrate through the Holt defensive line. There were many players putting in the tackles and stopping the visitors advancing, in particular Alex Storey and Jack who continued to tackle all morning. It was from this great defence that Holt managed to spring another attack, this time Simmo breaking free and scoring to give Holt a 15:0 lead at half time.

Hands up who wants it?

As per usual Holt looked to ring the changes at half-time, giving those on the sides their chance to shine. These changes didn't stop Holt taking the game to Diss and straight from the off Holt were looking to attack. Ollie Boldero, produced one of his 'Crazy Horse' runs bursting through the middle, he was eventually brought down but with Alex on his shoulder along with Dean and Simmo the ball was recycled and Simmo darted through to score under the posts. The conversion was taken.

Diss, who had threatened throughout then got what they deserved and scored after by a crafty bit of football up the wing, touching the ball down first. It wasn't long before Diss scored their second of the game, after a period where they were clearly in the ascendency pushing Holt back to their try line. A 5metre scrum was won by Diss, their No.8 picked and went but was held up by a watchful Jack, flanking on the blind for Holt. However the subsequent ruck gave Diss a platform to launch another attack, this time a diving player scoring in the corner. Neither of the Diss tries were converted and the scores were Holt 22: Diss10.

A right kerfuffle.

Holt seemed to realise that Diss were coming back into the game and knuckled down again. A great scrum gave Theo the chance to pick and go, with Jack supporting and taking the ball on, the subsequent ruck gave Sam the chance to put the ball wide and Matti burst through to get his second of the game. George B converted. Holt then managed to give away far too many penalties, gifting Diss the opportunity to attack, which they did and scoring from one such opportunity in the corner, the tricky conversion was missed. Scores Holt 29 : Diss 15.

Time for tee?

As the Holt players gathered under the posts to receive the Diss conversion the coaches asked for a last effort to finish the game on a high and that is exactly what Holt did. Having taken the re-start and giving the ball a good chase the ball ended up with Simmo, he gave a quick off-load to Theo, who drove through from just inside the Diss 22 to score under the posts. The conversion added and the final score was Holt 36: Diss 15. A hard-earned victory against a very good side but one that can be put down to hard work, support play and endeavour. Well done everybody.

Spectators enjoying the Holt weather.

Thank you to all the helpers in sorting the oranges, serving up the lunch and supporting from the side. A special thank you to Kate for taking the pics today and for volunteering to wash the shirts. More volunteers will be found next time. Good also to see Shed hobbling around, possibly faster on his crutches than without. Maybe we can ask for dispensation for him to play with crutches when he returns. Hopefully the other Holt u14 casualty, Jenks, will be well enough to come up in the next few weeks, it will be good to hear him chirping from the sidelines. We wish both Shed and Jenks a speedy recovery.

Holt boys take to the pitch for Norfolk

Last week was a very memorable week for several Holt u14 players. One in particular.

All eight players who had been selected to train with Norfolk deservedly got their call-up and donned the shirt to represent their county against Suffolk at Diss RFC. Well done to them all, there will be plenty of opportunities for everyone in the current Holt squad to strut their stuff in a Norfolk shirt.

Holt u14 players selected to play against Suffolk.

Norfolk A and B team to play Suffolk A and B

One Holt player in particular will remember this day for a long time. Having already played for Norfolk against the Leicester Tigers EPDG team, this was his second outing for his county. Harry Jenkins, who has been a member of Holt since we all started, way back in the days of tag and a player who has always given his all, suffered a very unlucky accident, breaking his arm, in trying to stop a try. A real blow for Harry, who will most certainly be out of action for the rest of the season and will be sorely missed by the rest of his team mates. Speedy recovery from us all Jenks.

Jenks still smiling

Moral support

 For a match report from both the A and B games, please click on here and download the relevant report: http://norfolkrfu.pitchero.com/county-teams/under-14s/norfolk-u14s-a--b-v-suffolk-20th-nov-at-diss-701/

North Walsham v Holt 13.11.11

This fixture is always very competitive and an opportunity to test ourselves to see where we are and where we need to improve. Everyone arrived in plenty of time and we had plenty of time to warm-up in preparation for the match, although there seemed to be a lack of urgency in all departments. Need to wake-up boys.

After a good start a certain pattern emerged, we would take the ball into contact and although the player going into contact went to ground the opposition managed to ruck over, far too easily. Definitely something to work on. A lot. Walsham scored their first, driving over. Maybe this was the wake-up call that was needed and it seemed to spur the Holt boys on, much more attacking and indeed Holt had Walsham pinned back on the their 5metre line. Unfortunately Holt didn't come away with any points despite such dominance.

After several phases Walsham were knocking at the Holt door and after a very brave tackle from Alexander stopping a driving forward, after Walsham had been awarded a penalty from 5metres out, the 2nd phase saw the home team edging closer and by the 3rd they were over. After this phase of play it all got a bit messy with a few fumbles and handling errors. Holt were getting more and more sucked in on what is quite a wide pitch and an overlap gave Walsham their 3rd try. Their 4th coming straight from the kick-off, it was, to be fair a great line taken at speed which broke the Holt defensive line.

At half time everybody who hadn't played came on, losing or not everybody who turns up to play rugby gets playing time and we will continue to do this. Holt started this half much better, showing more commitment and determination. Holt were attacking the Walsham line and a kick away to safety came to Miles who took it really well and went straight back into the fray, really good play. The dominance eventually paid off with Theo driving over after picking from the back of a ruck over to get the visitor's first of the match.

The play seemed very even in this half and there were chances for both sides. Jerry made several breaks, emerging from a strong Holt maul to set up the next move that gave Matti plenty of work to do but he showed his strength by breaking through from outside the Walsham 22 to go over and score.

As the tide was beginning to turn Walsham made a few changes and Holt introduced new boy Josh to the fray. Good to see him getting straight on the pitch and we will continue to look to develop the new recruits we have been so fortunate to have this season.

Walsham added two soft tries at the end of the game to give the scoreboard an impressive balance but Final score North Walsham 40 : Holt 12

Holt should have started better, rucked better and supported more. Lots to be positive about too, scrums were good, even after changing players, line-outs were competitive and handling looked good. Nobody dropped their heads and everybody got plenty of rugby.

Turd of the week was given to Alastair. By his Mum. Nuff said.

RACE NIGHT 2nd December

The next stage of our fundraising effort is fast approaching.
It's time to saddle up and join in the fun and games at a Race night, to be held at the rugby club.

Details are below and on the poster.

Race Meeting: Friday 2nd December
Racecourse: Holt RFC Clubhouse
Starters Orders: 7.00 p.m.
Royal Enclosure Tickets: £5.00
Tickets per person and includes nose bag.


Tickets can be bought from the following people:
Rob Hughes (01362 688257  rob.hughes@brown-co.com)
Carl Durban (01263 587895  carl.chris@virgin.net)
Mel Robson (01263 822040  r.robson@sky.com)
Liz Mackenzie (01263 577722  liz@mackenziehotels.com)
Tommy Ross (01328 820208  arosss@btinternet.com)

See you there. Bring your luck. Have fun.

Bag-packing and Sponsored walk

A terrific effort over the weekend by everyone. Well done boys, this was your turn to do your bit for the fundraising and do it you did!

We raised a great £272.37 bag-packing at Budgens on Saturday.

From hearing what some of you boys have got on your sponsorship forms we should have a very tidy sum for all your efforts yesterday. Remember to write out cheques to the account Tommy gave out at the end of the walk. We will keep you posted on the total.

I hope you didn't suffer too much after the walk. Remember; No pain, no gain.

Morocco Tour Itinerary

Please find below the proposed tour itinerary, just to whet your appetite a bit more about our forthcoming visit to Morocco and all that this wonderful opportunity offers.

As we get closer and closer some of the details are subject to change and more details will become available, we will keep you informed as soon as we can. It all looks very exciting.

Day one:
Arrival at Casablanca air port and coach to the LYDEC Sport CENTER KAHRAMA complex (hotel and apartments). Dinner at the Complex. Possibly a quick trip to Casablanca centre and coast.

Day two: Breakfast in the sports complex LYDAC:
Then to the Rugby club of RUC to play two matches against two clubs. 
RUC and COC. 
Back to the LYDAC complex to change and go to Marrakech.
Dinner at the hotel in Marrakech. 

Day three:Breakfast :
Match against (Kawkab) Marrakech youth team.

Back to the complex
 

Trip to the square and dinner at the Riad Bahia restaurant with small show.

Day four:
Relaxing day for shopping and site visiting /camel rides/quad bikes /Atlas Mountains /cooking lessons etc.

Dinner at the fantasia khasba chez Ali:

http://www.ilove-marrakesh.com/chezali/index_en.html




Day 5:
Breakfast fly back.

Special thanks to JAMAL GHANBOURI for all the organisation and negotiations in Morocco. We wouldn't be going if it wasn't for Jamal.

To contact Jamal: (tel 00447774788161)

Holt v Trafford Metrovicks (tourists) 23.10.11

It was a pleasure to welcome Trafford MV to Holt, a team who had travelled all the way from Manchester playing and beating West Norfolk on Saturday morning. A big strong looking team, who looked far too lively and awake for a team that been away for two nights.

A good solid start with Holt looking to put pressure on the visitors. Jack and Jerry both making initial breaks and gaining valuable ground, taking Holt within 10 metres of the Trafford try line, although the tourists in their very colourful shirts cleared their lines. They then went on and very un-sportingly took the lead, converting the well taken try. One word Holt. Tackles.

Trafford soon added a second try after a good re-start and with Holt looking to get back on even ground but the superior numbers out wide told, with Trafford scoring in the corner. This was looking like it was going to be a very one-sided game, fortunately Holt did not let their heads drop and responded well. Shed and Jack combining in the centres, Alex and Caz getting stuck in. Matti, playing his first game for Holt, in fact his first game of club rugby, joining in from fullback and driving forward until he was stopped illegally 10 metres out. The resulting penalty was taken quickly by Theo, driving and diving for the line. Half time: Holt 5 - Trafford MV 12

A sloppy re-start by Holt gave Trafford an immediate advantage, putting Holt back in their 22. The tourists soon made their good start pay by scoring the first try of the second half.

One thing that had been consistent all morning was the scrums, although Holt were by far the smaller pack, they won every one of their put-ins and even in the second half with changes in the back row the forwards were giving good clean ball to Simmo. Well done Jerry, George and Alexander at the coal face, Ben and Theo in the engine room, Robbo, Ollie and Jenks at the back. Not forgetting those that came on, Finn at hooker, Tommy T and Hedley in the 2nd row and Harrison on the flank. Using this great platform Holt were able to create plenty of chances and it wasn't long before a Holt scrum gave Simmo the chance to snipe, off-loading to a still-recovering from injury Ally, to pounce in the corner. This was turning into a great game.

Another Holt try soon followed after another driving run by Matti, recycled well by the forwards, Simmo again off-loading to Ally to score again in the corner. Holt were coming back into this game, the difficult conversion just missed and the score was Holt 15 - Trafford MV 17.

Holt very nearly took the lead with the next phase of play. Theo picked and went, Matti going over, only to be held up on the line. The resulting scrum saw another superb effort by the forwards, Theo picking from No.8 and diving over. The conversion going over to take the score to Holt 22 - Trafford MV 17. The last few minutes seemed to drag on as Trafford were desperate to get back into the game, using the full width of the pitch and getting the ball to their strong runners on the wing. Holt continued to play well, looking to make breaks, Miles and Harrison made some great tackles, Dean always looking dangerous, taking a full-blooded hand-off in the face for his pains, Jack supporting a super Simmo break. Everyone was playing well, in fact, as a team Holt were playing the best they have since THAT day at North Walsham.

However, in the end Trafford MV got a well-deserved equaling score in the corner. Their strong runners eventually crossing the line after some brave tackling by Holt. The difficult missed conversion meant the game ended Holt 22 - Trafford MV 22. Honours even and a superb game of rugby with lots of really good comments coming from the supporters afterwards and from Trafford's coach Steve who credited Holt with 'giving them one of the best matches they've had in a long time'. Praise indeed.

Once again a huge thank you to the kitchen and all the helpers, including the boys recruited to put all the tables and chairs away at the end.

Man of the match: Matti. A great start, looking forward to seeing more of the same.
Turd of the week: Slightly unfair as no-one deserved it but someone has to wash the shirts. Thank you Jerry (and Mum and Grandma) for taking one for the team.

Next week we have the bag-packing at Budgens and the Sponsored Walk on Sunday. A little break from rugby and a good chance for everyone to not only get together but also raise some funds for our tour to Morocco next year.