NORTH Walsham will have to manage without the talents of skipper Gideon Rossouw on Saturday when they travel to play Old Albanians. Rossouw, who was red carded in the game against Dorking for a verbal exchange with the referee, has - pending an official league tribunal - has been suspended by the club for four weeks.

NORTH Walsham will have to manage without the talents of skipper Gideon Rossouw on Saturday when they travel to play Old Albanians.

Rossouw, who was red carded in the game against Dorking for a verbal exchange with the referee, has - pending an official league tribunal - has been suspended by the club for four weeks.

Although most of his rugby has been played at hooker he has more often this season been operating in the back row, an area for which Walsham have cover.

Old Albanians have had a good season by any standards, and had it not been for the financial clout of Jersey they would have been contesting the league title.

A record of three defeats in their 20 games, two, by small margins against Jersey and an opening day loss to Hertford, means that they will be formidable opponents.

Some of their wins have been less than convincing including a single point win over Diss at Mackenders, and Walsham whilst not really threatening to overturn them went down 5-15 in a tight home game.

They are a club with great strength in depth due to a close relationship with Premiership side Saracens, and there is news that they have recently signed former Walsham outside half and record points scorer James Shanahan from Cambridge.

The Walsham coaches were last week able to field a near full strength side and although they will be without Rossouw this time around whoever comes in will not be without experience and the names of Soul Phoenix, Ross Nicholson could well be in their minds.

Mark McCall took a knock towards the end of last week's game but is keen to continue at hooker while Alex Soutar could start in the front row with Shaun Woodhouse on the bench.

In the backs Shane Van Vuuren and Lee Sandberg are due back

and could return on the wing and scrum-half respectively while Iain Young who moved to outside half in the second half could claim the starting berth.

After a few weeks' inactivity the Raiders are hoping to travel with the Vikings.

However, the Warriors' friendly with Lakenham Hewett is in doubt.