Driver is cruising as Hinckley scrap win
DIRECTOR of rugby George Chuter claimed Wharfedale had given his pack their hardest afternoon of the season so far as Hinckley claimed a narrow win.
Sam Driver scored a hattrick of tries for Hinckley inside half an hour but the league leaders trailed 17-15 after Philip Woodhead added to an earlier penalty try.
Fly-half Thomas Barrett converted the Woodhead score to bring his side within a point before knocking over a 70thminute drop goal.
But Mitchell Lamb was on hand to give Hinckley the bonus point win and Chuter admitted his side will look at their decision making going forward.
“We’re happy with the five points but this is the first time we’ve been pushed up front and struggled with the opposing pack,” he conceded.
“We were really fighting for our lives in the last 15 minutes.
“With hindsight, in a few of those decisions we would have been better taking the three points instead of going for the scrums.”
It was the first time this season though that Hinckley had struggled to push players forward and the visitors had the better of the pack.
Fifteen minutes in and against the run of play, a break and pass on the halfway line from Thomas Wheatcroft led to winger Driver running in to touch down. However, the conversion was missed.
With the hosts on the defensive, a break from the half way line resulted in Driver again scoring.
Three minutes later and Driver completed his hattrick after he came from deep to touch down, Glover’s conversion was missed to keep the score at 15-0 going into half-time.
With the second half underway, a penalty try was scored by the away side after Hinckley were penalised for collapsing a driving maul.
Wharfedale were now well on top and the pack were in the ascendancy, driving forward at every opportunity and this resulted in Philip Woodhead scoring a push over score.
Barrett scored the conversion to make it 15-14.
Ten minutes were left on the clock and Wharfedale were camped on the Hinckley line. Following a series of pick and drives, they drew their forwards in and allowed fly-half Barrett to score a drop goal to give them the lead.
In one of the final plays, a great break by Jamie Skerritt, who then threw the ball out to Mitchell Lamb to score the match-winning try but once again the conversion by Glover went wide of the uprights.
Wharfedale coach James Doherty felt his side were unfortunate not to get more than the losing bonus point out of their trip to the Midlands.
“I’m very proud of the lads, we were in the ascendency all game,” he said.
“Our forwards bullied the Hinckley pack, we were unlucky to lose today in a game that could have gone either way.”