In their first game in almost a month, Hinckley took up where they left off with another barnstorming performance to despatch Hornets in a 12 try points bonanza that would have delighted any neutral spectator. The victory was thoroughly deserved and avenged a heavy defeat back in late September when a rampant Hornets side had put 64 unanswered points past a flailing Hinckley defence in a performance that represented the nadir of Hinckley’s season to date. It was a more than satisfactory outcome for the home support.
That is not to say that Hornets did not play their part. The final score might suggest that they were put to the sword but it was only in the final quarter that Hinckley were able to pull away from their opponents and close the game out. True, the Seasiders benefitted greatly from poor Hinckley discipline that allowed them to play their way back into the game on a number of occasions but it would be unfair to suggest that Hornets were anything but value for money. On the day though, Hinckley proved to be much the better side.
It proved a happy occasion for captain Rory Vowles on his return from a three-month injury lay-off and his midfield vision and enterprise added much to the Hinckley performance, giving the backs the space and time to run at their opponents. The forwards too put in a sterling shift, outgunning their opposite numbers both in the tight and the loose, with loose-head George Patten putting in perhaps his best performance for Hinckley in what was a dominant front-row.
The one area of criticism, however, would be the penalty count. For whatever reason, it was too high and kept Hornets in the game when otherwise Hinckley would have been out of sight well before the end.
Things started well for Hinckley. From a scrum on the Hinckley 10m line, Hinckley carried the ball up field through a series of phases, and Vowles finished with a flourish to celebrate his return. Callum Dacey, whose place kicking seems to improve with every game, slotted the extras and Hinckley were seven up after five minutes.
But Hornets were soon back on level terms. The Seasiders won a penalty 10m out from the Hinckley line and kicked to touch. The danger seems to be over when, from the subsequent line-out, Hornets knocked on. From the scrum, however, Hinckley contrived to lose the ball when they looked to drive up-field. Hornets fed left and found wing How Morgan out wide and unmarked to run in for what was one of the easier tries he will score in his career. It was a soft try to concede and when, Charie Carter converted, Hinckley had it all to do again.
Hinckley did go ahead again five minutes later when the ball was fed right from a Hinckley line-out 25m from the Seasiders’ line and Devon Coulson eventually forced his way over out wide. Dacey again converted.
The third Hinckley try came quickly. A Hornets scrum 5m out from the line came under severe pressure from the Hinckley eight, forcing a poor defensive kick from behind the Hornets line. Dacey collected and made good ground, the ball went right and Josh Kent eventually made the line. Dacey converted and at 21-7 it seemed like Hinckley might run away with the game.
It was Hornets though who grabbed the next score from a line-out on halfway. A short throw to the front of the line caught the Hinckley defence napping and quick execution from the Seasiders saw the ball reach Carter out wide to run in for the score. It has to be said, however, that the score was soured by a blatant knock-on early in the move which inexplicably the referee did not see.
Hinckley did pull away again (and secured the bonus point) three minutes later when Murray Davidson broke from the back of short-range catch and drive attempt to score on the blindside but, once again, just as Hinckley seemed to getting a stranglehold on the game, Hornets dragged themselves back into it with a try from hooker Chris Francis from a shortrange line-out on the cusp of half-time. Carter’s conversion took it to 26-19 at the break but, as the teams left the field, the home support were palpably frustrated that Hinckley’s dominance had not resulted in a bigger lead.
Nigel Mukarati extended the lead again five minutes into the second period with a well worked catch and drive but once more Hornets pulled it back to within a converted try with a similar effort from Francis at the other end four minutes later.
A short-range penalty from Vowles extended the Hinckley lead to ten points but perhaps the crucial score came from Jack Hewitt again breaking from the back of a short-range catch and drive to score under the posts. When Vowles added the extras, the lead was up to 17 points.
Hornets did grab the next try, a quick tap and go under the posts from prop Tom Read, after Hinckley had conceded successive penalties in their own 22m, but a knock-on by the Seasiders at the restart gave Hinckley a scrum 25m out. Ben Pointon broke on the blindside from the base of the scrum, fed Rafe Witheat and the wingers pace took him in at the corner. Vowles converted and at 48-31 with only 13 minutes remaining the game was over.
Vowles added two more penalties as Hinckley looked to close out the game, and Hornets could not respond. When the referee blew for time, it probably came as something of a relief for the travelling support.
The win will give the Leicester Road men a boost as they go into next week’s tough encounter away to promotion chasing Clifton. Hinckley will start as underdogs against a team who has won their last ten games. Clifton, however, will be aware that the last team to inflict defeat on them was Hinckley.
Nick Robinson