Hinckley carried on from the last weeks victory at ONs with a dynamic opening quarter in this weeks N3M encounter versus Peterborough Lions. In a strange, but nevertheless entertaining game, both teams played their best rugby into the teeth of a gale rather than with it at their backs. Hinckley outscored the visitors by five tries to three in a tough encounter to take a bonus point victory.
Hinckley welcomed back Josh Smith and Ben Avent to the starting line up with Ed Dunn moving to lock. Ewan Bartlett, Tom Hilyer and Tom Sanderson resided initially on the bench.

The dynamic Hinckley opening salvo’s showed the hosts at their best with hard driven carries and an expansive approach. Both backs and forwards combined with ball in hand to subdue the Lions who had no answer to the onslaught. Liam Warren was the recipient of Hinckley’s first try burrowing over wide on the left after Ed Dunn had broken away from a line out. Mark Lord’s conversion was held up by the wind.
Mitch Lamb was prominent with two strong runs and from a pile up near the Lions line Josh Smith was on hand to touch down. Lord judged the wind to perfection and added the extra’s. Smith did the trick again soon after, this time splitting the Lions defence to run in under the posts. Lord’s conversion was a formality and Hinckley lead 19-0 after just twenty minutes play.
The visitors responded, against the run of play, with a forward orientated try after a long wind assisted clearance kick had them camped on the Hinckley line. Will Carrington missed the hard conversion, but the Lions were clearly up and running and had their best period of the game so far in terms of both possession and territory. Hinckley, however, hit back and Ben Avent added their fourth and bonus point adding try with Lord landing the conversion. Carrington converted a penalty for the Lions in injury time to make the half time score of 26-8 in Hinckley’s favour.

Hinckley kicked off with the elements and slope, but were rocked as the powerful Lions winger Vernon Horne ran virtually the length of the field to touch down wide on the left. Lions continued to press after Hinckley were reduced to fourteen men after Smith was harshly adjudged to have late tackled his opposite number. Lions were in the ascendancy for a twenty minute period, but the home defence stood firm to deny the visitors a score.
Lamb was again to the fore as Hinckley reasserted themselves with two fine runs both held up just short of the Lions line. Lord added a penalty as the Hinckley scrummage began to take control to establish a 29-13 score. Home coach Chris Campbell ran the bench with Bartlett, Hilyer and Sanderson entering the game although Avent saw yellow. That man Horne was on hand to score Lions third unconverted try, followed by one of his front row colleagues collecting a yellow card. The resultant penalty was added by Lord and the Lions had to go to uncontested scrums. Matt Fearn sneaked over for Hinckley’s fifth try converted by Lord in the 88th minute for a final score of 39-18.

Hinckley were made to work hard for their victory by a very combative Lions side in order to preserve their unbeaten run. They visit Sandbach next week again 2.15pm ko.