U16s -Sch year 11
Matches
Sun 10 Sep 2017
Leicester Forest RFC
Tries: Unknown (2)Conversions: Unknown
12
15
Hinckley Rugby Club
U16s -Sch year 11
Tries: K Smith, J Barnes, b drakeford
Forest Dumped!

Forest Dumped!

Paul Goodwin10 Sep 2017 - 21:45
Share via
FacebookTwitter
https://www.hinckleyrugby.co.u

Match Report by Andy Duggins: Leicester Forest 12-15 Hinckley 10th Sep 2017

Hinckley U14s travelled the short distance to the form team of recent seasons, Leicester Forest, with an almost full squad. This inaugaral game of the Under 14 season brought in a number of new laws including a full 15-a-side team and uncontested line-outs.

Forest kicked off and took the game to Hinckley with some early attacking play which Hinckley soaked up with solid tackles from Drakeford, Barnes and Smith. Hinckley’s defence held firm, eventually resulting in a turnover ball from which they launched their first offensive with strong runs from Goodwin, Moore and Buckler. The game was very evenly contested and extremely physical right from the start, Forest attacking from a penalty which was curtailed with a crunching tackle from L. Whittingham on the halfway line.

Hinckley were awarded the first line-out of the game, from which the forwards gained good ground with a rolling maul. Drakeford then made a clean break on the blind side up to the opposition’s 22 metre line, but Forest regained possession and sent a long kick downfield which was gathered by Fountaine who broke through to take the game back into Forest’s half.

The first try of the match came shortly after, when Forest attacked from a scrum inside their own half and passed the ball out to their dangerman in the centre who rounded Hinckley’s defence to give the home side a 5-0 lead, which was increased to 7-0 after a succesful conversion.

Hinckley responded well as the game re-started, a tackle from Smith giving Hinckley a turnover from which A. Whittingham, Burton, Toon and L. Whittingham made good yards. Hinckley were playing some excellent rugby, retaining possession through a number of phases deep into Forest’s half. The final phase resulted in Hinckley’s first try, the ball being fed from half-backs Wainde and Giles to Burton, who off-loaded to Smith to score a well-worked try in the corner. Drakeford was unlucky with the conversion (without a kicking tee...) but Hinckley had reduced the home team’s lead to 7-5.

Forest attacked from a line-out after the re-start and passed the ball wide to their winger 10 metres out but Smith was on hand to make a superb try-saving tackle. Following some excellent work in the scrum against the head by Mensforth-Grove, Hinckley counter-attacked from deep within their own 22, forcing Forest back into their own half.

Forest were then awarded a penalty on the halfway line, and again shipped the ball to their dangerman in the centre who found a gap in Hinckley’s defence to score their second try of the half against the run of play. The conversion was unsuccesful but Forest had increased their lead to 12-5 just before half time.

Hinckley kicked-off the second half and won an early turnover, from which breaks by Drakeford and Underwood took the away side into Forest’s 22. Hinckley attacked from a line-out with surging runs from Burton and Buckler and were rewarded with a penalty 10 metres from the Forest line. Burton took the crash ball and almost broke through but, from the resulting ruck, Barnes picked up and dived over to score Hinckley’s second try. Drakeford took the conversion, this time with the aid of a kicking tee, which was superbly thrown onto the pitch by the match reporter, but he narrowly missed the uprights, taking the score to Forest 12 – 10 Hinckley.

As the game entered the final quarter, Hinckley made a number of substitutions with Miller, Hutton, Al-Salloum, Newitt and McManus (making his debut) entering the fray. Forest re-started with a long kick, from which Hinckley attacked through runs from Smith, Barnes and Moore. Forest were awarded a penalty after Hinckley were alledged to be off their feet in the ruck, from which they attacked, but Hinckley’s defence held firm with notable tackles by Underwood, McManus, Barnes and Moore.

Hinckley went back on the offensive with 5 minutes of play remaining, breaks from Hurley-Smith and Miller taking them deep into Forest’s half. Hinckley again displayed some excelllent rugby, retaining possession through numerous phases, before the ball finally came to Drakeford out-wide who splashed down in the corner to give Hinckley the lead for the first time in the match. Another difficult conversion fell just short making the score 12-15 to the visitors.

Forest were clearly not used to losing, and attacked Hinckley from the last scrum of the game, but they could not break through Hinckley’s dogged and well-disciplined defensive line. Hutton then made a fantastic turnover form a maul, from which Hinckley counter-attacked through a strong run from Miller. The match ended in the same way that it had started, with a physical tussle on the halfway line, but Forest knocked the ball forward which proved to be the last play.

This was an excellent, physical game of rugby and superb performance by the whole Hinckley squad, showing that all the hard work and effort put into training was paying off.
Forest who? Bring on Ashby!!

Match details

Match date

Sun 10 Sep 2017

Kickoff

10:15

Meet time

09:30

Instructions

Arrive in Polo shirt and Black jeans.
Change into playing kit on arrival.
Formal shirt and Tie after game.
Team overview
Further reading