The Plymouth Sports Gazette rugby reports. Click here for rugby report
The report.
A few weeks ago I wrote that I thought I had seen the best defence for a long time, this time I can write that I have seen the best defence since a few weeks ago.
Hinckley came down from Leicestershire in tenth place in the league.
I am not sure they were written in the notebook as a team we would stand a chance of beating.
From the off we looked really good, playing with speed and drive taking the game to them.
They didn’t start well when the player taking the ball from the start knocked it on.
The scrum to us and we pushed them slightly then attacked and got into their twenty-two, they managed to turn us over and attacked into our half only for them to lose the ball, Billy Sutton was very quick off the mark with it and got back to their twenty-two, we had a number of probes deep into their twenty-two only to lose the ball. They attacked us and we stole the ball from them, Richard Goldsby-West attacked and did a chip towards the clubhouse side line, Charlie Groves on the left wing jumped for it just inside their twenty-two but was not able to hold it, had he done so we might have scored.
On nineteen minutes the stalemate was broken. From a lineout take we put the ball to the backs, they had a number of goes to break through then it came to Tom Davies on their twenty two who found a gap and went for the line as he got there one defender got his lower legs to stop his run and another got on to his back, fortunately he was long enough to touch the ball down on the line one handed.
The conversion by Richard Goldsby-West conversion was easy. 7~0 up

Only minutes later Hinckley got to our line and attacked and attacked, our defence was superb, they must have done so twenty or thirty times getting to within a couple of feet many times, they gave up the tactic and quickly sent it wide for William Cullen to dive over, the conversion by Rory Vowles was quite straight forward and the scores were level at 7~7 after twenty-five minutes.

On the half hour, we won a penalty on their twenty-two midfield, Richard Goldsby-West went to the five-yard line out, Matt Gregory took the ball and the pack mauled for the line, stopped just on the line a second drive started going diagonally towards the posts to go over in an untidy pile for Aiden Taylor the man to rise with the ball in hand.
The Richard Goldsby-West conversion went over. 14~7.

After turning over one of their attacks, Billy Sutton had a strong run from our ten yard line and well into their half on the club house side, he avoided one tackle but was then tackled very hard, it must have knocked the wind out of him, he was attended to for few minutes and then came off, shortly afterwards he was sick, perked up and seemed ok but stayed off.
Right on half time Rory Vowles put over a penalty to make it 14~10.

So far our pack has been slightly on top and safe, with Kyle Felton taking some ball in athletic looking style even taking one of theirs, Matt Gregory was also a safe pair of hands.

On twelve minutes in to the second half, they attacked us a number of times, we were defending well then they got to within a couple of feet of our line, I could not see the ball in the photographs, but suddenly the referee blew and went under the posts for a penalty try, then searched in his pocket and came out with the yellow card and it was Aiden Taylor to spend ten minutes sat on the wall, apparently he had bought down their maul. So for the first time Hinckley had the lead at 14~17.
On twenty minutes and still playing really fast and positive rugby we scored a third try, From a lineout take by Kyle Felton the ball got to George Pooley who ran diagonally towards the posts as he got to about twenty feet out three defenders grabbed him, on he went, one defender’s arms right around his waist, about six feet our he started to go down under their weight, then a couple of feet out to his knees but his momentum was enough to take him and the limpet like defenders over for the score near the seaward side post. An extremely good effort.
The Richard Goldsby-West conversion went over and we had the lead back at 21~17.

The last twenty or so minutes of this fast and dynamic game changed gear with Hinckley trying desperately to take back the lead and we trying to put some clear water between us.
On the half hour Hinckley again got to our line and attacked lots of times, at one Dan Goldstone was yellow carded.
Eventually, we got the ball and Richard Goldsby-West did a neat chip towards the clubhouse wing, George Pooley took it well and made good ground into their half giving it to Tom Davies who had the speed to make it to their try line and round and behind the post to score, the Richard Goldsby-West conversion went over. 28~17.

With about ten minutes to go according to the referee both side had possession a number of times then lost it, Services wanting the clock to run faster and Hinckley for it to go slowly.
At one point Hinckley thought they had scored but the referee pulled them back for an infringement.
Right on time but with a couple of minutes of injury time to go Hinckley won a midfield scrum and sent the ball to their left winger who was able to cross and score out wide, he was just pressurised enough by, I think Billy Orchard, such that he had to dive for the points and not able to run in closer to the posts.
That was valuable because they missed the conversion. 28~22. That meant they had to score a converted try in a couple of minutes rather than just a try.
The Richard Goldsby-West restart seemed to take ages, Hinckley attacked with a cross-field kick to the left wing, if the winger had caught it outside our twenty-two would he have scored? who knows. The thought didn’t matter because the kick went straight in to touch.
With that a couple of things happened that went our way, eventually after a consultation with the referee Richard Goldsby-West kicked the ball to himself then on to the Luddington stand roof for the referee to blow for full time.

Another win and a full five points, it was a great game to watch which ever side you were supporting, neither side had a decisive upper hand but I think we just had that little extra.
Liam Jarvis and Dan Goldstone both put in a top tackling count but others were not far behind.
Richard Goldsby-West was the Nigel Chivell Memorial man of the match well deserved but it could have gone to a number of players,
With the Seconds winning in their league match at Dartmouth it was a good afternoon, in the last quarter even the clouds blew over and the sun came out.
We went home rejoicing.
The Referee: Callum Watson.

The First team v Hinckley, Home. 14.30.

1. Rikki Bentham.
2. Aiden Taylor.
3. Oli Symons.
4. Matt Gregory. (c)
5. Kyle Felton.
6. Liam Jarvis.
7. Bertie Fordham.
8. Joe Stansfield.
9. Billy Sutton.
10. Richard Goldsby-West.
11. Charlie Groves.
12. Shaun Crawford. (C)
13. Tom Davies.
14. George Pooley.
15. Dan Goldstone.
16. Sam Bennett.
17. James McFarlane.
18. Tyler Busfield.
19. Jack Ryder.
20. Billy Orchard.

The Management.
Ben Russell.
Rikki Bentham.

The game flow went thus:
Try: Sean Harrison. converted by Matt Opie. 0~7.
Penalty: Matt Opie. 0~10
H/T
Try: Matt Storey. 0~15.
Dartmouth try and conversion. 7~15.
Try: Josh Martin. 7~20.
Try: Josh Martin. 7~25
Full time.

The Second Team v Dartmouth, away, 1400. League.

1. Sean Harrison.
2. Josh Martin.
3. Matty Story.
4. Hayden Thomas.
5. Cam Donkin.
6. Elliott Lupson.
7. Ethan Hilland.
8. Ethan Millard.
9. Rohan Johnson.
10. Matt Neyle.
11. Isaiah Akinrowo.
12. Danny Ronald.
13. Luke Stannard.
14. Owen Kerswell.
15. Dylan Harbour.
16. Ryan Dunn.
17. Tom Richards.
18. Kaff Simakoloyi.

The Management.
Dickie Duffield esq.
Steve Hilland.