By Brandon Reeves
Leicester Lions are this week’s visitors to Lockwood park as Huddersfield look to make it three National Two North wins on the bounce.
After lifting the curse that was Macclesfield away last time out, they face a fixture more familiar to them, and one they win more often than not.
Fixtures against Lions have brought five wins in the last six.
Leicester are also without a win thus far this league season but have scored the same amount of points as Field after the four games each side has played despite this.
Lions have always been a dangerous outfit going forward, but their losing habit stretches back to the end of last season where they lost eight of their last nine matches of the season, including a seven-match losing streak.
The sort of form that not just concerns but puts teams in dangerous positions. The Lions finished only five points above the drop at the end of last season.
Gareth Lewis however won’t be drawn into underestimating Leicester this Saturday.
“Leicester Lions have been in this league for a long time and despite a tough start we are fully aware of the challenge we are faced with” Lewis says.
And the team who are looking to make it a fifth defeat in a row for their visitors has three changes from the Macclesfield success.
Captain Dickie Piper and front row man Alex Battye are both unavailable in the forwards meaning a rejig. Lewis Bradley will skipper for the afternoon, Harry Whitfield comes in to replace Battye at Prop, and Guy Borrowdale comes in for Piper meaning Nick Sharpe will be Number Eight.
One change in the backs sees Jack Maplesden return to scrum-half in a starting capacity, Joe Green drops to the bench while man of the match at Macclesfield Mark Pease continues at fly-half.
In other team news, Prop Callum Thompson has left Field for Old Brodleians, wing duo Elliot Knight and Brandon Conway will return soon, and Elliot Munnelly arrives in October from Australia.
Despite his team dominating three quarters of last week’s match Lewis sees room for improvement.
“We must build on last week’s performance and develop a ruthless streak, we let Macclesfield back into the game too easily.”
Field saw a 26-3 lead cut down by twelve points in the final fifteen minutes at Priory Park.
A win at home this weekend and Field could rise up the table near the front runners, dependent on results elsewhere.
Chester and Hinckley both with four wins and the league’s top two face off with Stourbridge and Tynedale respectively.
Another Yorkshire clash takes place when Wharfedale travel to Hull and Fylde in third host Sheffield Tigers.
The teams without a win Macclesfield, Tynedale and Peterborough all face tough tests away from home.
Huddersfield: Tom Hodson, Kian Stewart, Lewis Workman, Will Milner, Arthur Wilkinson, Mark Pease, Jack Maplesden; Harry Whitfield, Fran Entressengle, Reuben Pollard, Matt Dunn, Guy Borrowdale, Lewis Bradley (captain), Liam Parfitt, Nick Sharpe,
Replacements; Adam Blades, Ross Thornton, Bob Sykes, Joe Green, James Davies
