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.

Holt v West Norfolk 16.10.2011

This fixture was always going to be a good competitive fixture and well contested. Although West initially started the better team, Holt soon upped their game and were matching them in all areas. Even though Holt must have been giving away a lot of weight in the scrum, they were not only matching West, they were shoving them off the ball. Great to see, good work forwards. Jenks and Jack, along with Tom Scott were having to put some big tackles in as West pushed close to the Holt line. West then managed to break a tackle and score to take the lead, just before half time. A good half and one that although West had taken the lead Holt had certainly had the better of it in the front row, George, Alexander and Jerry bossing things, Holt were also competing well in line out, giving Scotty good ball, Simmo playing at 10, looking to make breaks and put West on the defensive.

A few changes were made at half-time, everyone looking to come on and play their part. However, West started the more organised and made a break from the back of the scrum and a series of missed tackles gave them an early score. A third score by West came from a break-away after Holt had the visitors pinned down 10metres from their try line, Holt should have made more of the situation but once their player was away you realise how big these pitches are, there was no catching him, despite some excellent efforts. West added a fourth try but credit to Holt, who didn't give up, kept on trying and their hard work was rewarded when Dean received the ball on the right wing and decided to go direct to the line, no need for evasive running when you can knock the opposition out of the way.

A period of injuries and subsequent changes did little to help the flow and continuity of play. However, just as Holt were starting to find their second wind, with several breaks, Theo picking a ball up and driving through, Ollie Ross showing some true aggression, Scotty working hard at scrum-half and looking dangerous as well as Alex and Jack always looking for work, West broke from a line-out and scored. As Holt tired West scored the final try in dying seconds of the game, a soft one to concede, from just 10 metres their big No.5 driving over.

Considering this was our first real competitive match of the season and with a few players still missing, as well as new players finding their feet, there were lots of positives to take from the game. Good commitment, strong scrummaging, several very good tackles and competitive in the breakdown. With every positive there has to be a negative, so here's a few areas that obviously need working on. Apart from better tackling and finishing the tackles, we can always improve our rucking and lines of running but the main one is fitness. And by that we mean stamina, staying power, it's not a case of going to a gym and pumping some iron, your bodies aren't ready for that yet. Go for a run, swim, play as much sport as you can at school, use your own body weight for some exercises, simple stuff like we do in the warm-up and did in the summer, press-ups, sit ups, plank, etc., but make it quality not quantity.

Man of the match: Tom Scott, great play at scrum half and super tackling in defence.
Turd of the week: Harrison Nolan. Complete doughnut who turned up last week with two left boots!

Next week we are hosting a touring side; Trafford, let's give them a warm Norfolk welcome and then a really good match.

Big thank you to all the pitch-side supporters, helpers in the kitchen and the clubhouse, and those sorting and serving the lunches. Well done Mel for organising all of them!