Disappointing campaign for Hornets ends in away defeat
BARNES 42 HINCKLEY 17
A LONG, hard, and ultimately disappointing season for the Hornets finally ended with another heavy defeat in the south London sun at the hands of a Barnes side that have themselves not had the most successful of campaigns.
With nothing to play for, the game had very much an end of term feel to it and Hinckley in particular seemed relieved at the final whistle that they could at last have a welcome break from what had become something of a grind in the last few weeks.
The score was perhaps an unfair reflection of the game itself but two tries for Barnes in the last ten minutes countered by one for Mitch Lamb in the dying minutes rather distorted what had been a much closer encounter than the score suggests.
That said, Barnes were worth their win, showing more urgency at the breakdown and a greater ability to get over the gain line.
Hornets had some good moments – all their three tries were well worked and a pleasure to watch – but in the end, the desire was not there and, after a dismal run of one win in the last ten games, the selfbelief had gone.
After his last game in charge, Director of Rugby Scott Hamilton was philosophical.
“It has been a long, long season and, to be frank, I think coaches, players and supporters will be glad to see the back of it. Now it’s done, we can begin preparations for next year. “Recruitment over the close season will be important but Hinckley have a very good core group of players to work with. With the changes to the league structure next season meaning fewer games and less travelling, plus the likelihood that some of the teams coming into tier 4 will not be quite as strong, there is every reason to think that Hinckley can be challenging for promotion but the first few games will be crucial to break the losing habit that has overtaken us recently.
“We started well and score three good tries overall. The line-out and scrum went well but in phase play, they were better at getting over the gain line and generating quick ball. We weren’t able to do that.”
Of his pending retirement, Hamilton continued: “It was disappointing to lose my last game in charge. I’ve had six years at Hinckley and I’m looking forward to enjoying some of the great match day hospitality we offer next season.
“Hinckley is a ‘proper club’ with great potential. We just need to make sure that next season the playing side of things matches the great work that has been going on off the pitch. The future is bright for Hinckley RFC.”
Hinckley did start well and were ahead in the first five minutes. Joe Glover had found himself with nowhere to go on halfway but managed to offload in the tackle to Rory Vowles who streaked through a hole in the Barnes defence drew the last defender and found Ben Pointon in support to run the last few meters and score under the posts. Joe Wilson converted to make it 0-7.
Barnes were level though ten minutes
later when a lovely ‘show and go’ from Barnes full back Robert Kirby (something he was to repeat on several occasions during the afternoon) saw him break from halfway deep into the Hinckley 22m. The ball was recycled through several phases and the Hornets’ defence could not hold out. Kirby converted.
Two minutes later a missed tackle by Sam Greening allowed Barnes to break the Hinckley line inside the 22m and score under the posts for a second time. Kirby’s conversion took in to 14-7.
Euan Kelly grabbed a second for Hornets after Callum Dacey had been hauled down just short. The ball was recycled, and Kelly was at the end of the line to squeeze in at the corner.
Barnes scrum half Miles Lloyd restored the points difference five minutes later with a typical sniping scrum half try from short-range, Kirby again converted to make it 21-12 and that was how it was to remain until the interval.
There was no doubt that the game was still there to win as play resumed but Hornets needed to score first. They didn’t! A desperate case of poor tackling by the Hinckley defence allowed Barnes’ fly-half Thomas Ashford to go through four attempted tackles from 30m out and, when he was finally brought down, wing man Mathew Branfield was on hand to finish the job. Kirby converted
At 28-12, it was a tough ask for Hornets to come back. What finally killed the game though was two tries in four minutes after Hornets had been reduced to fourteen men when Wilson was carded for a deliberate knock-on with 15 minutes to go.
First, Dacey was caught deep in his own 22m after recovering a probing kick from Barnes and trying to break from defence. Barnes recovered the loose ball to go over. Then, from the kick-off,
Barnes claimed the ball, fed it left and swept the full length of the field to claim a sixth try.
There was no doubt it was a well taken try, but Hornets looked a side who just wanted the game to end.
That said, there was just enough time left for Mitch Lamb to score a well worked consolation try in the corner but it hardly mattered. Hornets had been well beaten.