Below par Hornets no match for Lucts
LUCTONIANS 40 HINCKLEY 12
SATURDAY’S visit to Mortimer Park on Saturday proved less than satisfactory against a tough abrasive Luctonians side who were looking to avenge their narrow defeat to Hinckley at Leicester Road back in November and climb above Hinckley in the table to further consolidate what has been overall a very successful season for the ‘Lucts.’
In the end, it was something of an anti-climax as an understrength Hinckley pack could not match their opposite numbers and Hornets were cudgelled into submission. The much vaunted Hinckley backline was never given a chance to function as the Lucts forwards dominated the game with second row Owen Harriet-Davis outstanding in what was a very efficient Lucts’ performance.
The game was effectively over after 22 minutes by which time Lucts had claimed the bonus point try and opened up a 22-5 lead. Hornets were not helped by a strong wind which was in their faces for the first half but then died as the teams turned round but it would be clutching at straws to suggest this made a massive difference to the outcome. Indeed, were it not for some defensive heroics in the second half, much of which was spent in the Hinckley 22m, the score could have looked a lot uglier.
Director of Rugby Chris Campbell was a little frustrated after the game.
He said: “The game was defined by the maul. Four of the six Luctonians tries came from a maul and we were outmuscled there. What is frustrating, however, is that we had clear defensive lineout plans to combat this but we didn’t start to use them until we were four tries down. By that point the game was effectively over.’
“It was actually a pretty even game in all other areas. The scrum saw penalties awarded both ways and both sides defences shut down their opponent’s attack. Neither side created very much in all honesty but Luctonians did an excellent job of using their strengths and you have to credit them for that. “There has been a lot of criticism from some teams in this league this year about others using their strengths to win games which aren’t necessarily the most attractive, but a try is a try however you score it, and I think Lucts deserve great credit today for exploiting their strengths. I must credit our bench though. They all came on with impact today, and although it was too late to effect the result, they have all put their hands up for next weekend.”
The tone of the afternoon was set in the first couple of minutes when Hornets pack found themselves being driven back 15m deep into their own 22m from a line-out and, multiple phases later, Lucts’ wing Charlie Grimes went over for the score. Louis Silver converted.
It didn’t take Lucts long to add a second in a similar manner, this time without the need of assistance from the back division. A penalty on halfway was kicked to just inside the Hinckley 22m. Lucts claimed the lineout and drove to the line with No. 8 Aiden Cheshire claiming the score.
The third came four minutes later when a long kick from Lucts put Hinckley under some pressure. Sam Everitt fielded but then passed to no-one deep in his own 22m and, despite some scrambled defence, Joe Wilson’s clearance attempt was charged down and Lucts’ centre Rob Bengry fell on the ball for the try. Silver again converted.
Hinckley did then respond with a try of their own. A penalty on the Lucts’ 22m was kicked to the corner, Andy Weaver claimed the ball, it was fed left and Callum Dacey eventually wriggled over for the score to make it 19-5.
Frustratingly though, just three minutes later, Lucts had made it 26-5 when yet another penalty line-out was driven to the line a little too easily by the Lucts’ pack, and flanker Matt Hackley came up with the ball. Sliver added the extras.
That’s how it remained to the break, although Hornets had a lucky escape when the Lucts’ wing knocked on 5m from the line when trying to collect a ball that had been hacked through.
On the return, it was same again from Lucts.’ Hinckley were penalised in the scrum on halfway. The penalty took them to 20m from the Hinckley line and the catch and drive got Lucts to within 5m before Hornets were penalised again. The penalty was kicked to the corner and once more the pack drove the ball over for hooker Ben Link to get the touch down with Silver converting.
From the kick-off though, Lucts were penalised for accidental offside and it was Hornets turn. Wilson kicked to within 5m, Ramshaw took the line-out and the pack drove over with Dale Bowyer touching down, and Wilson converting – 33-12 after forty-six minutes.
Most of the rest of the half was a wrestling match though. Hinckley showed some outstanding defence in keeping Lucts out but were unable to create anything themselves and rarely seemed to get out of their own half.
The final score did not come until five minutes from the end, and, in truth, Hornets were a little unlucky. The ball popped out of a Hinckley ruck on halfway and Lucts were able to hack through. A kindly bounce saw the chasing Grimes able to pickup and race to the line for the try which Silver converted. The remaining five minutes reverted to type until Lucts tapped a penalty and kicked the ball dead with time up on the clock.
It was another sobering defeat for the Hornets who this time were beaten at their own game. Injuries have badly impacted the team in the last couple of months and it would undoubtedly have been a different story had Hinckley been picking from a full squad. One the day though, Lucts were much the better side. One hopes that there may be a few returnees for the game next week against third placed Dings at Leicester Road.
“The game was defined by the maul. Four of the six Luctonians tries came from a maul and we were outmuscled there.” Director of Rugby Chris Campbell