Hinckley youngsters win to reach third cup final
IN a repeat of last year’s semifinal, Hinckley and Market Harborough were pitched together in a brutalising encounter that didn’t fail to disappoint.
The match was played on the Grandstand pitch, which was heavy and muddy - in front of a good crowd.
Harborough kicked-off proceedings and the match was underway.
The pitch conditions made it difficult for either side to build momentum and throughout the game there were multiple knockons and spills that denied either team meaningful possession.
This played into Hinckley’s favour fortunately as the forward pack proved to be the superior.
An excellent touch-finder from flyhalf Lewis Gardner meant that Hinckley had a lineout from the 5m line.
A powerful and ruthlessly efficient lineout drive resulted in hooker Ben Deacon crashing over from the back to Seb Smith - first blood to Hinckley.
Fullback Sam Racklyeft kicked a wonderful conversion out wide for Hinckley to lead 7-0.
The conditions proved again to be difficult, a botched attempt to play wide gave Harborough a chance to strike with a penalty kick to touch.
A combination of good pressure in defence and a slippery ball meant that possession went toand-fro between the sides.
Eventually, Harborough were penalised and Gardner nailed another touch-finder.
Jacob Bassford made a breathtaking catch which was brought to ground with Alfie Sansome and Zac Mumford in support, the ball was swiftly transferred back and No 8 Smith crashed over for Hinckley’s 2nd try.
The conversion fell short with Hinckley now at 12-0.
Good defensive work from Hinckley denied two Harborough chances and the ball was turned over,
A Harborough player was shown a red card shortly after for unlawful aggression towards Hinckley’s Brassford.
A uphill climb beginning to formed as Harborough had to play the rest of the game with 14 men.
They defended with determination and grit.
Hinckley missed their opportunity and the opposition looked to strike.
Hinckley were penalised again (both sides not demonstrating the best of discipline) and Harborough won a lineout on Hinckley’s five metre line in the last play of the half.
Unfortunately for the away team, they had put too many players in the lineout and Hinckley got the free kick which Jonno Davis gladly punted into touch - meaning the home side were in the ascendency, 12-0 up at halftime.
At the start of the second half, Hinckley needed to have killed-off the game but the restart was messy.
Eventually, Hinckley thought to have turned over but then were turned over themselves by Harborough’s robust and speedy openside flanker.
He ran around half of Hinckley’s disorganised defence to score under the posts.
The fullback missed a relatively simple conversion, however Harborough had given themselves a shot to remain in the game 12-5.
The referee had a no tolerance attitude to the breakdown and Hinckley were penalised multiple times in quick succession, trapping them in their own half, and the ref warned Captain Sansome against any further indiscipline from his team.
Jakob Warren replaced Nathan Horton in the secon row but it wasn’t long before Grewcock was pinged for holding onto the ball and was yellow carded for his team’s cumulative offences.
That card meant both sides were down to just 14 men on the field for a period of time.
Due to errors aplenty and spirited defensive work, Harborough just couldn’t get a breakthrough to find a second try.
Grewcock returned to the fray following his yellow card to give Hinckley a full compliment of players.
A powerful scrum and a great hook from Deacon gave Hinckley possession.
A couple of big carries from Deacon, Sansome and Smith set-up the platform and Harborough were then penalised for holding on after the ruck had formed.
Grewcock found touch well and Hinckley set up their impressive driving maul and there was no stopping Smith for his third try of the match.
In a move which summed up the match Harborough’s lineout was too predicable and unnecessary considering the conditions, whereas Hinckley used intelligent, brute force and coordination to marvellous effect.
Racklyeft was just wide with the conversion so Hinckley were now ahead by 17-5.
Taking advantage of several penalties in their favour, Hinckley employed a tap-and-go tactic.
The home side were now determined Harborough were not provided with another chance and pinned the away side in their own ’22.
However, attempts to hold their attackers up and force a turnover are thwarted and subsequent penalties means that Harborough are given a lineout but an excellent momentum-killing tackle by Dan Johnson ends in a scrum to Hinckley.
In front of the posts, Gardner kicked them into a 15 point lead, the final score of the match.
A very formidable, wolfpack performance from the Hinckley forwards who adapted better to the conditions then their opponents, with the backs defending well Hinckley were by far the better team.
The victory means the Hinckley U15s will now compete in their theird successive County Cup Final.
Final Score: Hinckley 20 – Market Harborough 5