The Hornets labour to win on the south coast
IT WAS a win, but it was a very average day at the office for the Hornets on a bright but windy day down on the south coast. Westcliffe were coming into the game off the back of their first win of the season and were up for the fight, showing grit and desire throughout this game.
A quick look at the table shows Westcliffe have conceded almost 1,000 points in 20 games this year with a negative points difference of 736. Hornets themselves had put 66 points past them in the home game at Leicester Road and your average Hornets supporter could have been forgiven for expecting a comfortable bonus point win.
It was a win, but there was no bonus point, and it was not comfortable. Complacency among the Hinckley players played its part, and a strong swirling wind did not help but that did not excuse a first-half performance that took the Hinckley habit of poor starts to the extreme.
Strong words at half-time did have a galvanising effect and Hornets showed what they are capable of in a third quarter that yielded three tries and, in the end, decided the match, but the final quarter descended again to harum-scarum rugby resembling what you might expect on a school playing field and could quite easily have allowed a dogged Westcliffe side to snatch a draw or even a shock win. It was not comfortable to watch!
Director of rugby Scott Hamilton was not a happy man at the final whistle.
“It was a tough day! The first half was probably the worst 40 minutes we have played this season and for some time before that. Westcliffe are a plucky side but to go in at half-time 12-0 down against a team we should be beating was difficult.
“I think there was an element of complacency – it was the first time we have gone into a game expecting to win – and the wind didn’t help, but the wind isn’t an excuse for missing tackles and throwing silly passes.
“The third quarter was a massive contrast and I think there was an expectation we would run away with it after we got the three tries but they wouldn’t go away. They tackled well and kept at it, and we simply couldn’t get the flow in the game we were looking for.
“Overall, it’s one when you get back on the bus and try to put it behind you. We have a big game next week at home to Esher and I can guarantee there will be no complacency going into that game.”
It was a familiar story at the outset when Hornets yet again conceded two tries in the first 20 minutes in what was a horrible first quarter littered with mistakes by both sides.
Westcliffe broke the deadlock on 15 minutes. Rory Vowles had been forced into touch deep in the Hinckley 22m from a clever chip through but, when the referee awarded Hinckley a scrum for a crooked throw in, the danger seemed to be over. Uncharacteristically, however, Hornets were pushed off their own ball, Westcliffe collected and pinged it out wide for the wing man to go over for a simple try. Matters were compounded five minutes later when Westcliffe broke the Hinckley line on halfway, the ball was offloaded several times and eventually chipped through for Westcliffe runners to chase.
Hornets made a hash of fielding the ball and Westcliffe took advantage to score. When the host’s captain, Greg Bannister, converted, Hornets were 12-0 down and looking shambolic.
Hornets did have chances to pull a score back. Euan Kelly almost got to the line for what would have been an excellent individual try but equally Westcliffe had opportunities to extend their lead. In the event, it remained 12-0 until half-time.
Whatever was said in the Hinckley dressing room at half-time seemed to have a transformational effect at the beginning of the second half. Westcliffe dropped the ball from the kick-off presenting Hornets with a scrum on the 22m. The ball was fed left, Mitch Lamb broke the line, off-loaded to Shae Nixon who scored out wide. Joe Wilson converted.
Ten minutes later and Hornets were level. A Hinckley penalty 30m out was kicked to within 5m of the Westcliffe line. From the line-out the drive went close but was held short and Hornets had to be satisfied with a scrum 5m out. Alex Salt picked up at the back and went over for the score and it seemed that the game may have swung Hinckley’s way.
Just shy of the hour, Kelly picked off a loose pass from Westcliffe just inside the Hinckley half and set off for the line, evaded the wouldbe tacklers and touched down under the posts. Wilson’s conversion took the score to 19-7 and, with the momentum firmly with Hornets, the bonus point win at last seemed to be very much on the cards.
But then it all seemed to fall apart again. Westcliffe refused to roll over, Hornets seemed to lose all shape and structure as they tried to force the game, and the errors crept back in. The final twenty for a neutral was exciting, but by no means a demonstration of rugby at its best. Both sides had chances to score but neither seemed capable of taking those chances. Hornets did add three more at the death when Wilson kicked a penalty from 30m out in added time, but it was something of a relief when the referee finally called a halt to proceedings.
Next up for the Hornets is a home clash against second placed Esher who have won 12 on the trot and will start as red hot favourites to extend that run. Hornets ran them very close in their earlier encounter, losing by just one point, and starting as underdogs may just give them the freedom to show their best. With a partisan home crowd behind them, a win may just be possible.