Hinckley Stags welcomed former player Sam Massarella and his team Coalville to Leicester Road for the latest round of league matches. Playing on the bottom pitch due to Bonfire Night preparations, the two teams started the game from opposing ends of the league table. The Stags were off the back of an away win at Birstall, while Coalville gave Southwell a walkover in their last fixture. Nevertheless, Hinckley were expecting a tough afternoon.

Hinckley kicked off and were immediately in the ascendency. Dylan Weddle scored the opening try of the afternoon, turning down a four man overlap to spin and score close to the breakdown. IT was later described as ‘the worst try ever scored’, but it opened our account for the afternoon and continued Weddle’s good try-scoring form of late. Kristian Powell dropped kicked the conversion wide after leaving his kicking tee in the changing rooms. 5-0 with plenty of rugby to be played.
Coalville had their best spell of pressure for the next 10 minutes, controlling possession in the Hinckley 22 after several Stags indiscretions had given them the opportunity. Hinckley defended well during this period, forcing Coalville to kick a penalty from in front of the posts after several attacks at the try line were repelled. 5-3.
It was one way traffic for the remainder of the half, with Hinckley scoring six more tries. First, Dom Ames found himself at the back of a maul after a penalty was kicked to within 5 metres of the Coalville try line. The Stags pack rolled over the line and Ames touched try. Powell converted from the tee this time to take the score to 12-3. After deciding the angle was too acute for a touch finding kick, Hinckley tapped a penalty close to the half-way and made significant ground down the blindside. The ball was moved across the field with several deft passes and Tom Lewis opened his account for the afternoon just to the right of the posts. Powell again converted for a 19-3 lead. Joe Hyett, recalled to the team in place of Chris Arnold was next to score. Good hands by Joe Barnes, Ewan Bartlett and Dom Ames found Hyett in space and he finished nicely for his first try of the season. Powell’s conversion extended the lead to 26-3. Euan Kelly, playing his first game of the season after a long injury layoff, then took hold of the game. First he pounced on a Coalville error close to the line when chasing a kick through from Alex Norris. The ball was spilled by the defence and Kelly was left with the simple task of picking up and dotting down. Powell again converted. The kick-off was kicked straight out and, after some quick thinking, Kelly retrieved the ball, took the quick lineout from the halfway, received the ball back from Bartlett and cantered down the touchline to score his second try to a 2 minute window. Powell’s touchline conversion was wide, but the lead had been extended further to 38-3. Tom Lewis finished the half as it had began when he received a short pass from George Marsden, who had broken the line, and beat the covering defence to score his second try of the afternoon. The conversion was missed, but Hinckley were looking at a 43-3 score line and a try-scoring bonus point with only one half of rugby played.

Hinckley cleared the bench at half-time with Ed Burgess coming on for Ewan Bartlett, Michael Parker replacing Charlie Hurst and Sam Racklyeft taking Tom Lewis’ place in the outside centre shirt. Hinckley were wasteful with possession in the first 20 minutes of the second half, making far too many unforced errors.
Coalville’s fly-half was yellow carded during this period, but Hinckley were unable to make the extra-man count. Dom Ames finally breached the Coalville defence, taking advantage of a smart front peel to score his second try of the game, which was converted by Powell. A minute later, Powell retrieved a Coalville clearance and combined with James Moreton to score under the posts, which he duly converted. 57-3 and the Stags rolled the interchanges again. Hurst returned to the field in place of Luke Johnson and Ewan Bartlett took the place of skipper Ricky Moran who had been moved to hooker. Ed Burgess was the next to score after a burst by Joe Barnes took play close to the try line. When ball was recycled Weddle fed Burgess who charged over the line. Powell added the extras.

The Stags saved the best two tries until the end of the match. Firstly, Hyett added to his earlier score with a sublime individual score. Picking the ball up around the halfway line, Hyett burst through a gap and showed incredible pace for a second row to sprint round the covering defence. Then Tom Lewis, who had returned to the field, completed his hattrick after a sweeping move across the pitch and several good passes put him in space down the left hand touchline. Powell added both conversions for a final score of 78-3.

A comprehensive victory against a local rival, but it is perhaps the first time this season that we have shown a real killer instinct when on top. There were still several unforced handling errors that need to be cut out, however, another bonus point victory keeps us on top of the table.

MAN OF THE MATCH: A good all-round performance. Tom Lewis scored a hat trick of tries, Euan Kelly looked dangerous every time he touched the ball and Kristian Powell continued his excellent goal kicking record. However MOM goes to Ewan Bartlett who had an excellent game and was involved in everything that we did.

UTS