Lichfield RUFC returned from a trip to Hinckley on the wrong end of a 52-22 scoreline.

With the pre match program taking a dig at the Greens’ tactics, it was always going to be an interesting encounter.

Lichfield broke out from the kick off to half way clearly showing their intent for the day. Hinckley were first to strike though, as a penalty was kicked to the corner and the home pack set up a maul to score, Lord converting from the right hand touch line.

The Greens came straight back showing what tempo can do. The home defence was found wanting as Lichfield pulled them across the field forcing a number of penalties. The visitors showed their own set piece skills as Turner burrowed over to take the score to 7-5.

Hinckley showed their much improved game, varying between forwards and backs and earned their rewards. They are very much a set piece team and with the visitors running everything, a ‘high risk-high reward’ strategy resulted in turnovers and penalties which allowed the Leicestershire side to kick deep into the visiting half.

Scrum push overs and driving mauls saw Hinckley score several tries in a purple patch. Most notably it was the number of penalties their scrum conceded that allowed Lichfield to tap and test the home side’s fitness around the pitch.

On the stroke of half time, the Greens scored a neat try as they exploited space for Josh Massey to race 60 metres to score in the right corner taking the score to 33-10.

With the wind now behind them, Lichfield should have been turning the large home team and making them work hard, but they struggled to convert endeavour into points as Hinckley turned on the power and showed a much improved skill set to move the ball up the field. It was once again their set piece that resulted in points as their open game showed limited flair.

It was a second half that ebbed and flowed, mainly has the home side’s discipline saw three of their players yellow carded for breakdown and verbal infringements. The visitors showed their resilience as they continue to spread the ball and play with tempo. At times they lost some direction, but a try from Clarke on 65 minutes left a bonus point in the balance.

Lichfield went back to structure and continued to find space only for the final pass or option to squash the opportunity. That chance eventually came in the final play as pace and hands found space out wide for the winger to dart over. The conversion was missed but a final score of 52-22 showed Hinckley’s credentials for promotion yet will mislead many into thinking it was a one-sided affair.

Lichfield: Machin, Clarke, Poole, Thompson, Southern, Turner, Milner, Burton (capt), Dobinson, L Massey, Antoniou, Maxwell-Keys, Wootton, Rowlands, J Massey. Subs: Gabbitass, Cowley, Aspley.