Away win for under 15s
HINCKLEY U15s made the extended trip down the M5 to deepest Gloucestershire for a testosterone fuelled ”friendly” against a very physical Longlevens side. AND they managed to take a 35-17 win, writes Andy and Bee Duggins.
Hinckley kicked the game off and went straight on the offensive, as a thumping Moore tackle resulted in a turnover. The black and ambers forced their way deep into Longlevens’ territory after strong runs by Jacques, Underwood, Golding and Wainde.
Longlevens tried to run the ball out from within their own 22 but were turned over again, this time following a crunching hit by Underwood. Hinckley quickly shipped the ball out to Smith, who rounded his opposite number to touch down in the left hand corner for an early 0-5 lead as the conversion fell just short.
Soon after, re-cycled ball was passed out wide, Jacques gathering a loose pass to blast over the line for Hinckley’s second try, extending the visitors lead to 0-10.
Longlevens realised they had a game on their hands and retaliated as the game re-commenced, using their burly West Country forwards to try and batter Hinckley’s staunch defence. The home side took advantage of a rare lapse in concentration by the black and ambers and broke through to score, reducing the deficit to 5-10.
Hinckley were on the score sheet again, Moore superbly stealing the ball in the tackle and off-loading to Jacques who powered through for his second try. The conversion drifted wide but Hinckley’s lead was now 5-15.
Hinckley maintained the pressure, attacking again from the halfway line with breaks by Underwood and Goodwin, forcing a scrum on Longlevens’ 22. Temporary replacement scrum-half Smith fed the ball out to Moore, whose magnificent break in midfield created space for Jacques to bulldoze through for a brilliant hat-trick, increasing Hinckley’s lead to 5-20.
A bruised but resolute Hinckley side took to the field for the second half which started with the same physical intensity as the first period. Longlevens went on the offensive, but Hinckley’s defence held firm.
A Longlevens turnover resulted in them scoring a break-away try to reduce Hinckley’s advantage to 10-20.
Hinckley hit straight back after the re-start, Burton ploughing up to Longlevens’ 5m line with a typically bullocking break. Longleven cleared and tried to run the ball from a line-out but Moore capitalised on a stray pass, picking up and diving over for Hinckley’s fifth try, taking the score to 10-25.
Hinckley’s sixth try followed soon after, much to the dismay of the increasingly vocal home side. McManus made a fantastic break from his own 22m line deep into Longlevens’ half. Barnes took the ball forward from a well-worked short lineout before the ball was passed neatly though the backs’ hand to Dewfield on the left wing who splashed down for a brilliant try, giving Hinckley a commanding 10-30 lead.
Attacking from another lineout, Smith took the ball forward with a gritty run before off-loading to L. Whittingham in support who scored under the posts. The conversion split the uprights, unfortunately the wrong side of the cross-bar, but Hinckley now had an unassailable 10-35 advantage with five minutes to play.
At the end, Longlevens scored a consolation try.