Holwell likely to return for crucial fixture

In a way David Holwell was glad he was sitting at home in Whangarei, in another he was gutted he couldn't do anything but yell at the television screen.

But after missing playing in near-freezing conditions against Otago in Dunedin at the weekend, the Northland rugby skipper is now primed for a return to the playing roster as they prepare for a crucial Air NZ Cup fixture against the promoted Counties- Manukau outfit.

Northland meet Counties-Manukau at Mt Smart Stadium on Sunday and Holwell is set to be added to the starting line-up today after missing the last two games with a rib injury.

Holwell is one of two changes expected when Northland coach Mark Anscombe names his team this afternoon, hooker Tim Dow coming off the injured list as well. But there might also be other changes as lock Kira Taihere is back on the available list as is flanker Junior Gadolo.

The propping puzzle remains though after the pack was dealt to in the scrums. Stan Wright and Bronson Murray are vying for the tighthead spot.

It is a welcome return at first five- eighths for Holwell, though.

He finds the role as spectator a little too frustrating for his liking. Sunday's fixture is taking on greater significance by the day though, as is the impending clash with Hawke's Bay the week after, and Holwell knows it.

"It was pretty easy to sit on the couch in front of the fire and watch (the Otago game). I thought parts of it were good, I thought we created a lot of turnover ball and we created a lot of opportunities from that. Obviously it is pretty disappointing to lose again and some of the mistakes that we have been making we are still making," Holwell said. "We obviously (have) still got a lot to work on.

"There's no bones about it, these are games that we targeted and games that we want to do well in. But it is about building each week and improving.

"I think against Canterbury the boys really took a step up and maybe this week we dropped off a level. It's about keeping that intensity and putting some pressure on the opposition."

So training yesterday saw the Northland forward pack put through long lineout and scrum sessions, both of them fiery "live" sessions while the backs division worked on counter-attacking drills.

The scrum and lineout are the big aspects, though, parts of the game that are simply crippling the side and will need to be repaired as they eye a sizeable Counties- Manukau pack.

So there would have been debate this morning about the best personnel to fill the front- row jerseys.

"Counties have got a lot of individual flair, a lot of pace out wide and a good forward pack. They are obviously pretty wounded after losing to Hawke's Bay especially after a good performance against Otago that they could have won," Howell said. "They will play at home sore, and will be bloody hard to beat."

- NORTHERN ADVOCATE (WHANGAREI)