Hinckley seeing double with whitewash
THE Hornets returned to winning ways completing a season double over Stourbridge with a performance that delighted director of rugby George Chuter.
In a match which was ended before time because of a serious injury to a Stourbrodge player, Hinckley bagged a whitewash win topped off with a bonus point.
“That was up there with our best performances of the season,” said former England and Tigers’ hooker Chuter.
“To nil a team as good as Stourbridge twice in one year is a great achieve- ment,” he said.
“It gave us a glimpse of just what this team is capable of.”
The victory puts Hinckley fifth in National Two North - one point behind Stourbridge, who they beat away in December 0-35, but with a game in hand.
Lock Ben Marshall opened the scoring on 17 minutes burrowing through a maul on the Stourbridge line to touch down at full stretch. Joe Wilson kicked the conversion.
Hooker David Peck then went over in the corner over-lapping for a winger’s try that any number of his team mates could have completed after a storming assault through the centre from Josh Smith. Wilson again converting the kick.
With Hinckley on the ascendency, stopping dead everything Stourbridge tried to throw at them, inside centre Mitch Lamb scored the try of the match with a blistering, jinking, second-half run down the left flank - leaving a simple conversion for Wilson.
Scrum-half Joe Glover scored and then converted his own try to make it 26-0.
But the game was held up and later ended early with 10 minutes to go following a sickening injury to Stourbridge fly-half Chris Scott who was on the ground receiving treatment for 55 minutes before being stretchered into an ambulance.
He is now laid up with several broken ribs and a bruised lung.
Chuter said: “I thought our line speed and aggression in defence was the deciding factor.
“We gave them no time or space to play, and consistently cut their big forward runners down behind the gain line.
“In attack, we showed adventure, and patience to go through phases and build the scores. There were also some excellent skills on show. All-in-all, I am very pleased with the performance and, obviously, the result.”
The Hornets now travel to Yorkshire on Saturday to take on third from bottom Wharfdale.