Hornets continue their strong run of results

Otley 14 Hinckley 19

HINCKLEY continued their good run of form with a hard fought victory at Cross Green against a battling Otley side who are now hovering just above the relegation zone in National 2 North, writes Nick Robinson.

The victory consolidates Hinckley’s fifth place in the table just one point behind Loughborough Students whom the Leicester Road men will want to overhaul to claim local bragging rights at the end of the season.

It was also sweet revenge for Hornets who had lost the equivalent fixture at home earlier in the season with the last kick of the game.

“It was something of a repeat of last week,” said Hinckley’s Director of Rugby Scott Hamilton who made a rare start himself on the wing.

“I never thought we were going to lose that game and I think we posed much the greater threat with the ball. They possibly edged it in the scrum but the lineout worked well for us.

The disappointment was that we again missed out on the bonus point. I can’t blame the lads for conceding the try and the losing bonus point at the end – we were chasing our bonus point and a bonus point for Otley didn’t really matter to us.”

It was a bright sunny, if bitterly cold, winter’s day as the two sides kicked off with Hornets enjoying a stiff breeze at their backs for the first half.

And it was Hornets who drew first blood having dominated the early possession and territory.

Hinckley went close but spilled the ball just 5m from the Otley line to hand Otley a lifeline but the clearing kick was charged down and Rory Vowles was able to dot the ball down over the line. The conversion was simple for Joe Wilson.

Hornets continued to dominate territorially for the rest of the first quarter but it was Otley who grabbed the next score rather against the run of play. An Otley line-out just inside the Hinckley half was fed along the line to centre Elliot Morgan on halfway and a lovely break through a gap in the Hinckley line saw him able to run to the line for a very well taken try.

Ben Smith notched the conversion to make it 7-7.

And that was how it was to stay until the dying minutes of the half when a Hinckley forward drive was held up over the line and Hornets secured an attacking 5m scrum.

Otley comfortably held the initial drive but the ball was sent right and Hamilton was able to take advantage of a massive overlap to touch down.

Wilson couldn’t convert to leave the score at 7-12 as the players went in for the break, although not before Otley’s Smith had missed what had looked a relatively easy penalty chance in front of the Hinckley posts.

With the wind against them in the second period, Hinckley found that territory was not so easy to come by and much of the second period was played between the two 22m lines.

The crucial score came on 62 minutes. Otley conceded a scrum penalty just inside the Hinckley half and Wilson was able to drill the ball deep into the Otley 22m.

From the line-out, the ball was fed out to Mitch Lamb who was hauled down just short but the forwards were able to take it on and drive over. Luke Coltman came up with the ball and Wilson added his second conversion.

Otley were now chasing the game and play descended into something of a scrappy encounter as both sides lost something of their composure.

With time just about up though, Hornets found themselves desperately defending their own line.

A neat kick into space in the Hinckley 22m had forced Joe Glover to kick the ball dead behind his own line and concede the 5m scrum.

Hinckley were then penalised for offside twice with Otley opting for the scrum on both occasions but when Hinckley were again penalised Otley opted for the quick tap and go as Hornets clung on by their fingernails.

This time, when Luke Coltman was caught offside, the referee lost patience and showed Coltman a yellow card. Hornets looked to have weathered the storm though when they recovered the ball from the resultant penalty scrum but then lost possession just outside their 22m allowing Otley wingman Henry Roberts to run the ball in for the try and a bonus point which may prove vital for Otley at the end of the season. Gavin Stead converted and the referee drew proceedings to a close.

Next week, Hinckley entertain third placed Sedgley Park Tigers. Earlier in the season Sedgley edged an high scoring encounter at Park Lane. Hornets will be anxious to avenge that defeat.