Having registered their first away win of the season last week against Holt, Norwich host table-topping Ipswich this week at Beeston Hyrne.

Confidence in the squad will be high after last week's performance but they know that they will have to take it several notches higher if they are to prevail against Ipswich, who have dished out some severe punishment to several teams this year including one of over 100 points.

Norwich will be aware of the standard of rugby that Ipswich can be expected to play, with a good number of quality Southern Hemisphere players in the team but must remain positive about their prospects in front of a full house at their last home league game before Christmas.

The squad will be without injured front row forwards Matt Selby and Joe Riches, as well as centre Jordi Walker, and Adi Ball is unavailable, but the coaches will otherwise be able to pick from a strong squad with Jack Acorn and Dougie Greenwood coming back into the team.

Holt's coaches and players have spent the week reflecting on that 22-35 defeat to Norwich, a double-header league and Norfolk Cup fixture.

Holt's forwards coach, Penny Chapman, said: 'Both teams got what they deserved from the game. Norwich fully deserved their victory for the determination and commitment they showed, which we simply didn't match.

'When you perform how we did, you don't deserve to get anything and that's exactly what we got.'

Backs coach, Ed Steed, continued: 'It's not often that we allow teams to do this or bully us but this is what happened and we appeared to lack the desire and the aggression to prevent this, something which is not normally said about a Holt side.'

They face another difficult away game this Saturday at second-placed Saffron Walden, who have only lost one game so far this season and are undefeated at home.

Steed added: 'We've all been working hard to put things right and to use the hurt that everyone has to drive us forwards. It won't be easy but we have to start somewhere.'