Poor first game back for HRFC in front of crowd
Hinckley 24 Barnes 43
THIS was poor fayre to serve up on a pleasant late summer afternoon before an enthusiastic Leicester Road crowd attending their first competitive match in over 18 months.
Hornets bore no resemblance whatsoever to the team that concluded the last campaign with ten straight wins in National 2 North and were soundly punished by a Barnes side who would probably not have come close to Hornets in the latter half of last season. One wit in the crowd was heard to remark that at least the scoreboard operator had a good game.
To their credit, Barnes were quick, competitive and exploited the many opportunities that Hornets presented them with but were hardly the titans that the score suggests. Their pack offered little in the set piece where Hornets did achieve some dominance, although that was to some extent negated by a referee who refused to reward the dominant side in the scrum.
But overall Barnes were quicker in thought and act and much better in exploiting the new laws to protect the ‘jackal’ at the breakdown.
Hornets were disorganised, imprecise, profligate with ball in hand, and gave away too many penalties. And in gifting three tries to the visitors, they effectively handed the game to Barnes on a plate.
The opening exchanges looked promising for Hornets as they enjoyed the better of possession but that ended abruptly on 9 minutes when a horrible attempted kick by Hornets just inside their own half succeeded only in ricocheting into the arms of Barnes centre, Jordan Souter, who had a simple run in to opening the scoring. Josh Hammett converted.
Rory Vowles and Hammett then exchanged penalties before Hornets did at least return to parity when Vowles set up a catch and drive attempt from a penalty in the Barnes 22m, and Adam Johnson went over with a classically executed move. Vowles converted.
But it was to be short-lived as Hornets conceded first a penalty and then two tries in two minutes on the cusp of half-time. Oscar Harper put out a pass to no-one on halfway which was gratefully picked up by Barnes scrumhalf Josh Davies who ran to the line unopposed, and then a break through the middle on halfway was rewarded as the ball was spread wide and Barnes winger Nick LisinWhite crossed in the opposite corner. 10-23 at half time.
When Hammett then converted another penalty immediately on the return Hornets seemed in tatters.
Oddly, this prefaced Hornets’ best period of the match. Ben Pointon collected a loose Barnes line-out on their 10m line, carried forward and veteran DOR Scott Hamilton, making something of an unexpected appearance after Josh Smith had been forced out of the game before the kick-off through injury, eventually coasted through to score. Vowles converted and the crowd sensed that perhaps the tide was turning.
It didn’t happen. Hornets did create a number of opportunities which on another day would likely have seen them overhaul the visitors, but they were woefully lacking in the precision and accuracy needed to administer the coup-de-gras.
Any hopes of a revival disappeared on 68 mins when Alex Branson was carded for his reaction following a tackle on scrum half, Davies. The card was probably merited but it was not an edifying sight to see the Barnes man, who had been niggling away all afternoon, applaud the referee’s decision to send the Hinckley man on his way. Whatever happened to rugby’s values!
Hornets’ problems were compounded when Josh Raqio inexplicably collected the failed penalty kick behind his own line and attempted a clearance kick with the Barnes team bearing down on him. The kick was inevitably charged down and it was a simple job for Barnes to dot the ball down for a score.
17-36 became 17-43 a couple of minutes later when Hammett converted a try for No 8 Conor Harbison after Hornets had lost possession on their own 30m. Harbison had picked up from the base of the resultant ruck and charged through for the score.
The final act did see Hornets pull one back from a penalty try from a catch and drive (an offence which resulted in a yellow card for Barnes) but it was too late for many in the crowd who had retired to the bar to drown their sorrows.
Director of Rugby Scott Hamilton was chastened but not entirely downbeat after the game.
He said: “It was a very disappointing start! The score was not pretty reading and we didn’t deserve to win but we probably made more chances, particularly in the first 60 minutes, than they did. The difference was that they took their chances and we didn’t. It didn’t help that we gave away three tries and we were not quick enough to the breakdown today. Their No 7 had a brilliant game. It’s still early days though and we do have another 29 games to put things right. Henley next week will be a big challenge. The injuries we picked up today to the two Povoas boys and Josh Smith won’t help but hopefully we’ll have Joe Wilson and Joe Lane back.”