Hornets regain some of last season’s sting
Henley Hawks 21 Hinckley 38
IT has been some time coming but Hornets at last showed some of the spirit and ruthlessness of last season, writes Nick Robinson.
This was their best performance of the season to date, notwithstanding the 66-5 drubbing of struggling Westcliff.
On a cold, dreary afternoon at Dry Leas, Hornets were clinical in their execution and quick to pounce on mistakes by their opponents. Joe Wilson kicked every attempt at goal and bagged a brace of tries.
Ollie Povoas was outstanding as a stand-in for missing skipper Alex Salt, while Andy Weaver was a colossus in the pack and Joe Glover brought an element of control at scrum half which has been lacking in recent weeks.
That said, it was a day when the team played as a unit, with every man doing his job. It wasn’t spectacular but it was very good to watch.
It was also good to see Shay Nixon make his first appearance for the first XV. Having previously represented the club at every level from U6 upwards, Nixon was a late replacement in the second half.
Henley had slightly more possession, but made too many errors at crucial moments and suffered the consequences. In particular, a period of sustained Hawks pressure in the middle of the first half resulted in two clear overlaps from which the hosts should have scored, but on both occasions the final pass went astray and Hornets were able to clear the danger.
Arguably, that was the critical period of the game, as Hornets worked hard to defend the early advantage earned by a Wilson try and conversion. On the half hour, however, a scrum on the Hawks 22m saw the ball spun right and Wilson grabbed his second with a neat step inside to wrong-foot the Hawks defence. The conversion took it to 14-0 and provided the platform for a convincing away win.
After the trials of recent weeks, DOR Scott Hamilton was delighted with the performance.
He said: “A few things went our way today which in previous weeks would have gone against us, but I thought the boys played really well. It was a solid team effort and the best performance we have seen this year.
“We did pick up a couple of injuries to Harry Bower and Callum
Rowe, but I’m hoping that they won’t prove too serious.”
Hornets are fourth from bottom in the National 2 South table and Canterbury, who sit just one point and two positions ahead of them, visit Leicester Road next week.
A win for Hornets could see them move further up the table towards mid-way.
Elsewhere in National 2 South, Leicester Lions did not have a league fixture this weekend. They entertain Dings Crusaders at Westleigh Park, Blaby, on Saturday (2pm).
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