This will hardly go down as a vintage Hinckley performance. They have played better and lost but all that will be remembered in the long-run is that Hornets registered their third win of the season, secured a bonus point, established bragging rights against their local rivals, and climbed to ninth in the division. Job done!

Hinckley played some good rugby at times but failed to produce that killer instinct which should have seen them well out of sight by half-time against a game, but under-powered Syston outfit. The perennial line-out problems were still evident despite the return from injury of line-out talisman Devon Coulson, there were still too many penalties and a silly yellow card for Will Callan late in the game, and tactically, Hinckley seemed, at times, naïve.

Perhaps there was an element of complacency within the Hinckley ranks against a winless Syston but the visitors showed themselves to be quite capable of taking advantage and in the last quarter of the game were much the better side, scoring two unanswered tries as the home side appeared to sit on their laurels. It would be an exaggeration to say that Syston could have snatched a victory but they certainly caused a few anxious moments amongst the home support.

For the visitors, full-back Finlay Nockles had an excellent game, slotting all four conversion attempts and always looking dangerous with ball in hand, and with, a little more quality ball, the Syston backs may have given the Hinckley defence a few more headaches.

Nevertheless, defence coach Ben Avent was happy with the win. ‘We played some good stuff at times and probably left three or four tries out there. Defensively we were far better at the breakdown, the jackal is something we’ve worked hard on, and it was great to see that pay off with a few turnovers. It was disappointing to let them back into the game at the end, but five points was what we were after, and five points is what we got. The boys can now rest up on Saturday, and we’re looking forward to the physical battle that Luctonians will bring the following week.’

Hinckley came out with a roar and did manage to touch down over the line in the first minute but were called back for a knock-on in the build-up. Syston were under intense pressure in those early minutes. Hinckley butchered one catch and drive attempt from 10m but, eventually, the pressure told in the eighth minute when Vowles set up a catch and drive attempt with a penalty from 15m. All went well this time, and Henry Higginson was able to dot down. Rory Vowles slotted the extras.

Hornets continued to press but could not translate that into points. Another catch and drive opportunity from 5m was squandered and, completely against the run of play, it was Syston who got the next score. A break out from their own 22m almost brought a try but the Syston wing was bundled into touch 5m short. Hinckley won the resultant line-out but the clearing kick was partially charged down and the visitors were able to run the ball back, centre James Smith getting the score which Nockles converted. All square at the end of the first quarter.

Numerous Hinckley chances to pull clear, including another short-range catch and drive attempt, came and went until Joe Vesty slotted a penalty with ten minutes of the half remaining.

That seemed to provoke a reaction. A high kick into the 22m was put down by the Syston defender and from the resultant scrum Jamie Dutton put through a chip and Sam Read collected to go over in the corner.

A few minutes later a lovely break-out from Callan from his own 22m saw Syston scrambling to prevent the score and touching down behind their own line. From the drop-out under the posts, Hinckley worked the ball back to the line and George Patten went over for a well worked score. Vowles converted, the referee blew for the break and Hinckley went in with a healthy 22-7 lead which, in truth, should have been much more.

It didn’t take long for the lead to be extended further on the resumption however. An outstanding individual effort by Man of the Match Matt Browne saw him shrug off several defenders in a 40m run to the line for the bonus point try. It was an outstanding individual effort.

Syston, though, came back to close the gap. Nockles set up a 10m catch and drive attempt with an outstanding penalty kick from inside his own half and the pack duly delivered with loose-head Archie Coldicott claiming the score. Nockles’s conversion made it 27-14.

From the restart, Hinckley secured a line-out on the visitor’s 22m. They lost the line-out but a Syston knock-on presented Hinckley with a scrum again on the 22m. The ball was worked down the line, Callan went close, but it was Vesty who went over for the score in the corner.

A few minutes later, Callan did get his try when he collected a chip through the line after Hinckley had botched another line-out on the Syston 22m but recovered the ball to set up the chance.

At 37-14 with 20 minutes to go, that should have been the trigger for Hinckley to kick-on but it didn’t happen. Instead, Syston, throwing caution to the wind, took advantage of some indifferent play from the home side.

First, a speculative kick from inside the Syston half was not dealt with by the Hinckley defence and the on-coming Syston attacker was allowed to pick up and run through to the line unchallenged. Nockles added the extras.

Then a Syston scrum on the Hinckley 22m erupted into a mass outburst of handbags which took out most to the Hinckley defence. Fly-half Matt Steward simply collected the ball and ran through what was left of the Hinckley line, already one short after the Callan yellow card, for another try and Nockles converted.

It was a silly try to concede but that did conclude the scoring. It was spectacular at times from Hinckley, and inept at others but as the saying goes, a win is a win.

Nick Robinson