Late missed conversion ensures Hawks get off to winning start

HENLEY Hawks got their National 2 East season off to the best possible start on Saturday with a tough home win against Guernsey Raiders.

Despite holding a 14-point half-time lead, the Channel Islanders fought their way back into the contest, and had it not been for Ciaran McGann’s narrowly missed conversion at the end, then the points would have been shared.

Taking to the field in a new-look kit, hopes were high within the club that the Hawks would better last season’s eighth place finish. With less than a minute on the clock, Raiders’ influential centre Niall McGann received a nasty head injury and had to leave the field.

This setback proved costly as Henley bossed proceedings in the early exchanges. The set piece looked impressive and with Sam Lunnon and debutant second row Ben Elsey spoiling the visitors’ line-out, the Hawks were seeing the vast majority of territory and possession.

Henley were first on the scoresheet after 12 minutes when a move down the blindside saw Lailand Gordon wriggle into space, and his deft offload to Leo Webb gave the scrum half the opportunity to go deep into the visitors’ 22.

With George Wood on his shoulder, Webb’s inside ball was gleefully taken over the whitewash by the fullback and the Hawks had their noses in front. Max Titchener converted well from out wide and Henley had built a 7-0 lead. The visitors slowly found their way into the contest and five minutes later, second row Charlie Wilkinson powered over from close range following sustained pressure in the Henley 22. McGann’s conversion sailed through the uprights and the scores were level at 7-7.

Despite Raiders back row Matt Creber seeing a yellow card for deliberately kicking the ball away, Henley couldn’t make the numerical advantage count as the visitors did a good job in stifling any further scoring opportunities.

A crazy period of action five minutes from the interval saw the game turn on its head. Henley managed to steal another Raiders line-out on halfway when the overthrown ball was taken by the Hawks rampaging skipper Spencer Hayhow into the 22, and his excellent offload to Lunnon saw the second row sprint to the line to dot down. Titchener converted and the home side were back in front at 14-7.

It got even better for Henley just a couple of minutes later after a Raiders attack broke down deep within the Hawks 22, and with Will Benning managing to hack the ball forward, Gordon did a brilliant job in collecting and evading Guernsey fullback Callum Roberts to cross the line. Titchener added the extras and Henley had built an imposing 21-7 half-time lead.

Raiders director of rugby Jordan Reynolds undoubtedly read the riot act during the break and his side came out firing in the second half. Dominating the scrum, it gave the visitors an excellent platform to wrestle back the advantage.

On 45 minutes, Raiders scrum half Dale Rutledge crossed for their second try of the game following an excellent break from Charlie Davies. McGann converted and it was game on at 21-14.

And when Raiders wing Ethan Smith ghosted his way through the Henley defence 10 minutes later, his offload to Roberts set up the visitors’ third score. However, McGann was off target with the tricky conversion and Henley still held on to a narrow advantage at 21-19.

Heading into the last quarter and it was anyone’s game. Kadeem Collins’s rampaging run and offload to Guy Rawsthorn was brought down just shy of the line, leaving Henley supporters wondering if the moment had gone to seal victory.

Yet, they had one further opportunity with five minutes to go. A lightning break from Gordon moved the Hawks into the Raiders half and his excellent kick through was collected by Webb to crash over for the bonus point try.

Callum Jones, now on for Titchener, narrowly missed the extras which crucially would have moved Henley two scores clear, but Henley still had a seven-point lead at 26-19.

Guernsey launched another attack to get something from the game and a powerful driving maul was finished well by prop Martin Dromantas out wide. It gave McGann a tricky attempt to level the scores, but the centre pushed his kick across the posts giving the Hawks a big let-off.

With 90 seconds still remaining the visitors were able to launch one final attack into the Henley half, but despite going through multiple phases to try and draw a penalty, the Hawks defence held firm to seal the win.

Henley Hawks: Wood, Rawsthorn, C Hayhow, Snook (Titchener, 80 mins), Gordon, Titchener (Jones, 66 mins), Webb, Collins, S Hayhow (Kinniburgh, 75 mins), Adablah (Bailey, 53 mins), Elsey, Lunnon, Lowe (Goodison, 56 mins), Noone (Small, 66 mins), Benning.