Hornets returned to winning ways at the Old Showground on Saturday with a bonus point victory over League new boys Newport Salop. Tries for Dave Peck, Adam Johnson, Mitch Lamb, and Ben Pointon, plus a penalty try, were enough to see off Newport and lift the Hornets into fourth place in the table.

The victory was again very much down to the Hornets pack who achieved scrum dominance from the first scrum and generally bossed their opposite numbers for much of the afternoon. Ollie Povoas was immense and the second-row partnership of Andy Weaver and Jack Ramshaw is fast gaining a reputation as one to be feared. The backs though were disappointingly subdued. Joe Wilson enjoyed one of his better afternoons with the boot, notching three out of four conversions and tormenting Newport with his long raking touch kicks, and Frankie Sleightholme worked hard to find an opening but, overall, the Hinckley backs lacked penetration and were outplayed by their opponents.

DOR Chris Campbell in his post-match comments acknowledged that it was a victory for the forwards. ‘We didn’t expect this to be a game where we would end up having to turn the screw at the set piece to get over the line, but so be it in the end. Our job is to win games and sometimes the plan you start a game with has to change. It certainly did as the match went on to today. David Peck was fantastic at scrum time and Jack Ramshaw lead the team very well in his first game as captain.’

‘Our supporters may have expected us to win by more, but that would be doing a disservice to Newport. It has been a while since we were here, but it has always been a difficult place to win at, so we are delighted to come away with five points.’

Newport were indeed a difficult nut to crack, and it did not help that Hinckley conceded two tries in the first quarter to go down 14-0 in a manner that was uncomfortably reminiscent of the darker days of last season. They did come to life in the second quarter, scoring three tries without response to take a 21-17 lead into the break, but Newport proved naggingly persistent in the second half. Twice in the second period when it looked as if Hinckley may pull clear, Newport pulled back a try to keep the game interesting and, whereas it would be a slight exaggeration to say Hinckley breathed a sigh of relief at the final whistle, the last ten minutes proved uncomfortable for the travelling support.

Hinckley hardly touched the ball in the early exchanges and Newport were rewarded with a try after just five minutes when winger Reece Beddows, who was threatening throughout the afternoon, went over in the corner after a period of sustained pressure. Connor Adams added the conversion off the post.

Seven soon became fourteen when Beddows crossed for his second after the ball went loose from a Hinckley line-out and was pounced on by Newport with the Hornets defence looking ragged. Again, Adams converted.

Hinckley then woke up and, with 23 minutes on the clock, after Hornets had pushed the Newport scrum back 10m, a series of pick and drives in the Newport 22m resulted in Dave Peck burrowing his way over for a try. Wilson converted.

Shortly afterwards, Newport were forced to carry over their own line giving Hornets a 5m scrum. It was no contest as the Hinckley eight again pushed their opponents back at a rate of knots. Flanker Josh Kent broke from the back of the Newport eight and foolishly tried to kick the ball out of the scrum, an action which earned him a yellow card, Hornets a penalty try and parity on the scoreboard.

Adam Johnson added a third Hinckley try just five minutes later after Wilson had set up a penalty line-out meters from the Newport line and the pack drove over from a well-executed catch and drive. When Wilson added the conversion, Hornets seemed to be cruising.

Adams did pull three back with a penalty for Newport the cusp of half-time when Hinckley incurred the referee’s displeasure for going off their feet on their own 22m line, but it felt like the second half was likely to be a relatively comfortable ride for the Leicester Road men.

That was not how it worked out.

Hornets stretched their lead just after the interval, again from a scrum close to the Newport line. Henry Povoas picked up at the base to go close, but a few phases later Mitch Lamb, coming at speed, was able to crash over for the score. Wilson again added the extras.

The Newport response was a catch and drive try of their own from short range with second row Jake Goulson claiming the score and Adams’ conversion cut the Hinckley lead to just four points again.

Back came Hornets. Ten minutes later, Wilson put Hinckley within 8m of the Newport line with a superb penalty kick from his own 10m line. Weaver took the line-out almost making the line himself; Lamb too went close, but eventually it was Ben Pointon, sniping from the back of the ruck who darted over for the try. This time Wilson couldn’t make the conversion.

Newport though would not give it up. With ten minutes left on the clock, a Newport break put the Hornets defence under pressure and eventually prop Kaid O’Neil forced his way over, although there was more than a suspicion of multiple knock-ons in the build-up. The conversion was missed but it left Hornets facing an anxious
final ten minutes defending a slim four-point lead.

Defend it they did though and arguably should have had another try at the death after Wilson had again set up yet another penalty line-out deep in the Newport 22m. This time though, Hornets could not hold on to the ball.

Next week sees a break in the calendar before Hornets take on old rivals Luctonians. ‘The rest week comes at a great time for us,’ commented Campbell. ‘It gives a little time for a few niggling injuries to heal and, apart from Rory Vowles, it should mean we have a full-strength squad to pick from for the Luctonians game.’

For those still in need of a rugby fix next weekend, Hinckley’s U23’s take on Kettering at Leicester Road while the Hunters travel to Bosworth.

Nick Robinson