Should any rugby lover be looking to plan their next season’s match attendance, they would be well advised to ink in the two Hinckley/Cinderford games. For the second time this year, the two sides served up a nerve-tingling encounter the result of which was in doubt right until the last second. This one was a classic encounter pitching the big powerful Cinderford pack against the finesse of Hinckley’s backs and was a delight to watch with something for everyone, even if it did to induce heart palpitations for the two rival sets of supporters. This time it was Hinckley who came out on top – just - consolidating their third place in the table and closing the gap on Luctonians above them. A playoff place is now a possibility, if still unlikely.

It was a real roller-coaster. In the early stages, it looked likely that the Cinderford pack would bulldoze all before them but a couple of costly errors allowed Hinckley back into the game and even to snatch a half-time lead. On the return, three tries in quick succession from Hornets while their opponents were down to fourteen men looked to have won the game before three late tries for Cinderford, courtesy of their pack led by the outstanding former Italy international Jake Polledri, brought the visitors to within a score. But Hinckley just about hung on in the dying minutes to take the win to an audible sigh of relief from the Hinckley faithful.

Defence coach Ben Avent was happy with the win but was quick to point out Hornets need to work on closing out games that should be in the bag. ‘At times in the second half, we played some of the best rugby of the season and I felt we deserved to win the game. However, once again we allowed a team back into the contest when we should never have done so. That could have cost us late on. As it is, Cinderford walked away with two bonus points which we could have done without given the tightness of the League. We need to be far more ruthless when we’re in front. But it’s still a five-point win at home against a good side who are in form. We’ll take that and move onto next week’s game over at local rivals Syston.’

The visitors made clear their game plan from the off. Hinckley were toiling in the scrum and were pushed off their own scrum ball on their own 22m within minutes and were only saved when Cinderford’s winger put a foot in touch in the act of scoring. That, plus a couple of costly Cinderford knock-ons meant that Hinckley were fortunate to remain on even terms in the first 10 minutes.

That said, Hornets were first to register on the scoreboard with a short-range Rory Vowles penalty on 10 minutes after a catch and drive attempt had been held out illegally by the visitors.

Cinderford were soon back at the other end, however, and a scrum penalty 30m out from the Hinckley line gave them their own short-range catch and drive attempt which was executed with ominous efficiency, hooker Nathan Taylor claiming the score which Jack Condliffe converted.

The visitors were in front and deservedly so, but Hinckley hit back immediately. From the restart, they secured a line-out on the opposition 22m. The ball went left and Travis Bennett-Allcock, making his first appearance at Leicester Road, went close before winning a penalty 5m out. Quick thinking by Callum Dacey saw him take a quick tap before the defence was set and sneak over for the score. Vowles put over the conversion from out wide.

Isaac Thompson replaced Oscar Harper to bolster the faltering Hinckley scrum and, for the rest of the half, there was little to choose between the sides. Both missed clear-cut chances to go over the whitewash but the only additional points came from a mammoth Vowles penalty from just inside the Cinderford half to send the Hinckley men in 13-7 up but with all to play for in the second period.

Perhaps the turning point was a yellow card for flanker Dan Broady within four minutes of the restart. Josh Kent had made a charging run from hallway into the Cinderford 22m to feed Dacey out wide. Broady killed the move but at the cost of a penalty and 10 minutes in the bin.
Hinckley got over the line from the resulting catch and drive but the ball was held up. From the resultant kick under the posts, the ball found its way to Dacey out wide who evaded the would-be tackler to go over in the corner for his 100th try in Hinckley colours. Vowles added the extras.

Five minutes later, Sam Read, 20m from the line, got a foot to a Vowles chip to the wing, recovered the ball, and ran in for the try.

And three minutes after that, after a Vowles long range penalty attempt had fallen short, Cinderford were caught in possession 5m from their own line and Hinckley won a scrum for holding the man up. From the scrum, the ball went left and Mitch Lamb managed to crash through for the bonus point try under the posts. When Vowles added the conversion and Broady returned, Hinckley were 32-7 up. The game seemed up but Cinderford were not inclined to follow the script.

A Hinckley knock-on in their own 22m gave the visitors a scrum which became a penalty. The chip to the corner set up the catch and drive. Jake Bailey broke from the back of the resultant maul to touch down and Condliffe converted.

Shortly afterwards, Will Callan temporarily calmed any nerves that the home support might have had when, from a scrum 15m out from the Cinderford line, he was able to get on the end of Vowles chip over the top to score.

But the visitors were far from finished. Giving up any pretence at running rugby, they reverted to their power game and, with Hinckley ceding scrum penalty after scrum penalty, three times Cinderford were able to set up short-range catch and drive attempts in the Hinckley 22m. Three times, they scored, the first two from Pellegri, the third from lock Tyler Jerrum. Condliffe only managed one conversion but it was enough to bring the Forest of Dean men to with a converted try. The home support were in full panic mode; the visitors febrile with excitement sensing a famous win.

But the Leicester Road men just about held their nerve to play out the last couple of minutes in the Cinderford half and the visitors simply ran out of time. It had been quite a game!

Nick Robinson