Hinckley 7 Fylde 43

After the encouraging performance last week at Sedgley Park, Hinckley returned to Leicester Road on Saturday in confident mood to take on high-flying Fylde.

That confidence proved ill founded, however, as Hornets crashed to a six tries to one defeat with a performance that will have left the coaching staff shaking their heads once more. There is little doubt that Fylde are a quality side and will be strong contenders for promotion this year but that does not explain how a team who ended last weeks game on a high could return to home territory and play in such an inept manner.

Inconsistency dogged Hornets throughout last season when they were near invincible at home but like rabbits caught in the headlights on the road, but this season is not following any discernible pattern. One touchline wag questioned if the team had been introduced to each other yet.

Thoughts of promotion will certainly have to be put on hold at least for the time being while Hornets focus on improving their league position to ensure survival. The defeat leaves Hornets perilously placed in thirteenth position in the table, one place and one point above Hull. Next weeks visit to Scunthorpe who are bottom having lost all their games to date, is now therefore a must-win game for the men in black and amber.

It is still early in the season and there is time to climb the table, but there is something of a nervy atmosphere around Leicester Road at the moment.

Director of Rugby, Scott Hamilton spoke of his frustration after the game. ‘We knew what to expect from Fylde – they like to go wide - and we put together a game plan to deal with the threat. We’d trained hard this week with that in mind, but we just didn’t stick to the plan. Fylde are a good side but again we gave away too many penalties and we were executing as individuals when we had talked about doing things in twos and threes. I don’t believe there are any technical issues but we need to start acting on the things we have discussed. Scunthorpe next week is now a big game for us.’

It only took Fylde three minutes to register their first score when fly-half Greg Smith slotted a penalty from 35m in front of the posts but it followed by a burst of three tries in six minutes, two of them converted by Smith, which effectively took the game away from Hinckley.

First, a quick tap penalty around the 22m line was fed right and fullback Tom Carleton came into the line to force his way over.

Four minutes later centre Connor Wilkinson, standing at first receiver at a ruck inside his own, half broke through the Hinckley defence and fed scrum-half Adam Lanigan who went over near the posts.

From the restart Fylde collected and Jacob Conner made 35m before off-loading to Smith who ran the remaining 40m untouched for another all too easy try to take the score to 0-24. Hornets were shell-shocked.

Hinckley did then stir themselves to notch a try of their own as the game entered the final ten minutes of the half. Rory Vowles intercepted a pass deep in Hinckley territory and kicked long into the Fylde 22m. Fylde did recover the ball but a knock-on under pressure was hacked on by Jamie Skeritt who then won the footrace to the ball to register Hinckley’s first points. Joe Glover added the extras to make it 7-24.

That was as good as it got for Hornets. Fylde grabbed a fourth try and a bonus point just before the break when neat play down the right created an overlap for Carleton to race through for his second.

After the break, conditions deteriorated significantly with torrential rain making the ball resemble the proverbial bar of soap. Hinckley did have opportunities but were not able to convert any into points and it was Fylde who were able to register 2 more tries.

The first, on 51 minutes saw the centre Scott Rawlings power over after a quick tap penalty on the Hinckley 22m by Lanigan created the opportunity.

The second came as time was winding down when a 14 man Fylde (Tom Forster had earlier been carded for a technical offence) won their scrum deep in their own half, Lanigan went blind and found winger Lex Botha who ran through 3 defenders to go over. Smith’s conversion took the final score to 7-43.

Hamilton will be hoping his men can bounce back against Scunthorpe next week. Should Hornets not return with a win, things will begin to look very bleak.

Nick Robinson