Seven tries, a see-saw game that saw the lead change four times, and a result that was in doubt to the dying minutes. This was a cracking game of rugby which would have delighted any neutral looking for an afternoon’s entertainment and ended with a second bonus point victory on the bounce for a Hornets side which seems close to recapturing the glory days pre-Covid.

Redruth began the season as one of the pre-season favourites and showed why in patches, dominating possession and the scoreboard in the first and third quarter. But in both other quarters, Hornets demonstrated that they are a side building in confidence who may yet surprise a few sides this season. With the table beginning to settle, Hornets now sit in fifth place and a top fix finish is looking more than possible.
It was far from perfect for the Hornets. The penalty count was too high, as it has been all season. The team was twice slow off the mark bringing back memories of last season when it seemed that Hinckley were twenty points down before they started to play on so many occasions. Sometimes there was a lack of composure which Redruth were quick to exploit. But to defeat a side of the calibre of Redruth, who handed out severe drubbings to the Hornets both home and away last season, at this stage of the season, shows how the team have progressed in the last few games.

DOR Chris Campbell was delighted with the result but tempered that delight with some words of caution. ‘We have to be happy with that. We didn’t get near them last year and I think we are continuing to demonstrate how the mindset has changed within the squad. But we are making major errors which we need to eliminate if we are going to continue to progress. We handed them field position on a plate for all their tries. On the other hand, we are showing our ability to score and have become much more clinical inside the opposition’s 22m. We are having highs and lows every game. If we can eliminate some of those lows, then we will begin to find how high is the ceiling of our achievement.’

It must be said though, that the first quarter was not comfortable viewing for the Hinckley faithful as Redruth seemed bent on picking up where they left off last season. Hornets were five points down within five minutes when a kick to nothing into the Hinckley 22m bounced horrifically, evading Joe Wilson and sitting up beautifully for the oncoming Redruth winger. He was hauled down, but the ball was set back and found its way to Redruth full-back Will Trewin to go over.

Five became twelve shortly afterwards. The Reds fly-half Fraser Honey kicked a Redruth penalty deep into Hornets 22m. The line-out was overthrown, allowing Hornets to recover the ball but a knock-on in front of the posts handed the Reds a scrum 15m out in front of the Hinckley posts. A try looked odds-on and so it proved when Williams trundled over for the score which was converted by Honey.

At 0-12 with only 15 minutes gone, and Hinckley seeming unable to secure any meaningful possession, it looked ominous for the Hornets. But as the game drifted into the second quarter, Hornets began to wrest control away from their opponents and were duly rewarded after 26 minutes after Wilson had drilled a penalty from his own 10m line deep into the Redruth 22m. The lineout was taken and fed left. Ben Pointon went close, and eventually Adam Johnson breached the Redruth line. Joe Wilson had injured himself in setting up the penalty opportunity, so Rory Vowles stepped in to take on the kicking duties and duly claimed the extras.

Four minutes later, with the Reds down to fourteen men, Pointon nipped in for a score after a Hinckley catch and drive had been halted. When Vowles converted, Hornets were in front.

And it got better still, when, with Reds now down to thirteen after a second card, Johnson claimed his second from a penalty line-out after the Hornets catch and drive had initially been halted. Vowles converted and Hornets departed for the interval with a healthy 21-12 lead.

The return though was another horror show for Hinckley. Luke Hibberd, in attempting to keep alive a ball destined for touch, put boot to ball and succeeded only in presenting it to oncoming Reds’ wing Dean Bonds. The result was a Redruth penalty on the 22m. Honey kicked to the corner setting up a catch and drive opportunity which ended with Tommy Phillips claiming the try. Honey converted. A couple of minutes later, Hornets found themselves behind after Honey slotted a penalty after Hornets were penalised in front of their posts.

It was all a bit frenetic from Hinckley for a while but as things settled, Hornets again began to wrest control back from the Reds. Things almost boiled over when the referee missed Vowles being horrifically tip tackled on halfway, but Hinckley retained their composure to regain the lead on 64 minutes when Vowles himself slotted a penalty from the Redruth 22m.

Hornets had the edge in the last quarter, but it was a tense affair, and the Reds could easily have snatched it. Nerves were only settled with five minutes to go when, from another penalty line-out, Andy Weaver wrestled over for the bonus point try. When Vowles converted, it looked over.
There was still time though for Oscar Harper to be mysteriously carded for an offence in the scrum, and for Honey to claim a drop goal to earn a deserved losing bonus point. But it was still Hinckley’s day!

Nick Robinson