Luctonians 40 v 12 Hinckley
Luctonians RFC v Hinckley RFC
Saturday 25th March – Mortimer Park
Match Reporter – Geoff Vickress
Earlier in the week, this fixture was being touted as the number one game in the National 2 West this weekend, fourth versus fifth. But then the powers that be realised that Leicester Lions v Loughborough Students could see the league decided in Lions, favour with a bonus point win. Lions didn’t disappoint, but then this game didn’t disappoint either, as the home side were rampant against a Hinckley side who were above them in the league before kick-off.
The home side were dominant throughout, and an early score from live wire wing Charlie Grimes saw them ahead after only 2 minutes when he was driven over close from the Hinckley line, with Louis Silver converting for a 7-0 lead. And when Aiden Cheshire, who had a fine game throughout, broke away from a driving maul on 11 minutes to dot down, Lucs were 12-0 to the good. Silver missed his kick at goal, which was to be his only failure of the game.
Lucs’ centre Rob Bengry then hurried Hinckley’s 10, Wilson, into a quick clearance, which he then charged down claiming the resulting bounce ball to give the home side the lead 19-0; Silver converting. And there were only 16minutes on the clock.
Hinckley started to show signs of why they occupy a top 5 position, when they crept back into the game from a Callum Dacey score soon after, but a rampant home side secured the try bonus point when the evergreen Mat Hackley was at the bottom of another excellent driving maul from the home side; Silver converting for a 26-5 lead after only 22minutes.
Hinckley probed, and tried to restore some balance to the score in the last 20 minutes of the half, but an excellent defensive performance from the home side, marshalled by the excellent Aiden Cheshire and Mat Hackley, saw them nullify the threat to send the teams in at half time with no further points on the board.
HALF TIME SCORE
Luctonians RFC 26 v 5 Hinckley RFC
The home side then camped themselves in the Hinckley 22 for long periods of the second half, Tom Smith on his swansong game for Luctonians having a fine game, as were most of the Lucs side, against a dogged defensive Hinckley outfit. However, they couldn’t stop hooker Ben Link squirming over, almost from the restart, to add to the home side’s tally; Silver again converting for 33-5 lead.
The away side responded, when Dale Bowyer was driven over on 46 minutes; Joseph Wilson converting (33-12). But it was, in the main, scrappy defence at times from Hinckley for most of the second half, as they gamely kept the home side at bay for long periods. It proved to be effective, although the home side will wonder how they didn’t manage to add to their score from some gilt-edge opportunities.
Eventually, after nearly half an hour of Lucs’ dominance, the ever alert Lucs wing, Charlie Grimes, kicked through from a loose ball on the half-way line and his kick chase saw him dot down for the final try with 5 minutes remaining; Silver converting for a final score of 40-12.
Lucs’ coaching team were well pleased with this performance, against a side who have troubled them in the past, as they leap-frog Hinckley to go fourth in the table with just the 3 games to go, two of which are at home against the sides currently occupying 2nd and 3rd in the table above them. Lucs’ highest finish ever at National 2 level – we will wait and see in great anticipation.
FULL TIME SCORE
Luctonians RFC 40 v 12 Hinckley RFC
SCORERS
Luctonians
Tries: Grimes (2, 24), Cheshire (11), Bengry (15), Hackley (22), Link (43)
Conv: Silver (7, 16, 23, 44, 75)
Hinckley
Tries: Dacey (19), Bowyer (46)
Conv : Wilson (47)
STAR MAN
Tom Smith
Luctonians
TEAMS
Luctonians
Watkins; Grimes; Owen; Bengry; Wheeler; Jones; Silver: Deignan; Link; White ©; Whiteman; Harriott-Davis; Smith; Hackley; Cheshire
Replacements: Smith; Powell; Pearson; Robinson; Davies
Hinckley
Hibberd; Everett; Nixon (S); Lamb; Dacey; Wilson; Pointon: Harper; Bowyer; Bartlett; Groocock; Weaver; Barnes; Bower ; Ramshaw
Replacements: Wright; Harvey; Johnson; Guilfoyle; Nixon (C )
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