Henley Hawks 17-16 Canterbury

By Alistair Beynon

Henley Hawks defied Storm Bert and a Canterbury side who had lead from the fourth minute until the very end to edge past the Kent team by the narrowest of margins on Saturday. 

The atrocious conditions undoubtedly had an effect on the game, with both sides struggling to stamp their authority on proceedings. However, despite it being an error strewn contest, it was absorbing nonetheless and an injury time try for hooker Spencer Hayhow and a nerveless conversion from Max Titchener saw Henley home. 

The away side started the brighter of the two teams and a Frank Reynolds penalty on four minutes edged them in front 3-0. In the teeming rain and howling wind, it made handling conditions very tricky which resulted in numerous scrums. Canterbury certainly had the edge at the set piece, particularly in the first half, but despite having territorial advantage, tenacious defending from the Hawks repelled any potential try scoring threats. 

A second Reynolds penalty extended the visitors lead just after the first quarter as Henley continued to struggle up front against a larger pack. However, despite the city side being back within the Hawks 22, a knock on close to the line saw Henley manage to turn defence into attack and Aaron Bello's excellent break and kick through was hacked on further by Aidan Pugh. The Bath Academy scrum half was the first to touch down and Henley were suddenly back in the contest without having seen much of the ball. Titchener was wide with his conversion, but it was a one point game at 6-5. 

Disappointingly for the Hawks, they allowed Canterbury back on the attack instantly and a well worked driving maul was finished by wing Garry Jones. Reynolds added the extras and Canterbury pulled two scores clear at 13-5. 

Henley had further opportunities before the halftime whistle, but the lineout was struggling to find any fluency and any threat was quickly extinguished by the Canterbury defence. With tempers beginning to fray, both sides were down to 14 men as Liam Goodison and Presley Farrance were both yellow carded just before the break for some pushing and shoving. 

Whatever was said during the interval certainly had the desired effect as Henley put their lacklustre first half showing behind them as they came out with renewed purpose. With the lineout looking improved, replacement hooker Beau Delaney was the man to dot down for the Hawks after a well worked catch and drive try on 45 minutes. Titchener was again narrowly wide with his conversion, but Henley were back in the contest at 13-10. 

With the weather getting steadily worse, and with standing water in several parts of the pitch, the game became an arm wrestle with neither side giving an inch. However, another penalty for the away side close to the hour saw them move back to a six point lead at 16-10, having seemingly done enough to stifle any further threat that the Hawks could muster. 

A Titchener penalty came back off the post with 10 minutes remaining which left Henley fans feeling that it wasn't going to be their afternoon. However, with Hayhow now back on the pitch having shaken off an injury from earlier on, the hooker lead from the front and was giving the Hawks some much needed momentum that they struggled to find earlier in the contest. With replacement prop Aaron Cooper yellow carded for the visitors, Henley had a series of opportunities deep within the Canterbury 22 with the clock ticking over into the red. 

With the maul well set, Henley launched one last attack and with Hayhow peeling off the back from three metres out, the powerful hooker managed to find his way over the whitewash to the joy of Hawks supporters. With the score now at 16-15 to Canterbury with the conversion to come, all that could be heard was the rain coming down as Titchener stepped up to win it from out wide. 

Having missed his three previous attempts which were all in easier positions, the fly half landed the one that mattered most, squeezing his conversion within the left hand upright which sparked huge celebrations amongst the players as they squeaked home by the narrowest of margins.

It was the Hawks sixth win on the bounce and an important one as they try to keep pace with the teams above them. With a well earned rest week, Henley travel to Tonbridge Juddians on Saturday, December 7th, kick-off 2pm for their next National 2 East fixture. 

Henley Hawks

Tries: Pugh 24, Delaney 45, Hayhow 80

Conversions: Titchener 80

Howe, Bello (Rawsthorn 62), Jones, Webb, Gordon, Titchener, Pugh, Collins (Bailey 65), Hayhow (Delaney 7), Mason, Sheriff (Benning 47), Lunnon, Goodison (Noone 53), Basil, Lowe

Reps: Bailey, Benning, Rawsthorn, Noone, Delaney (Hayhow 61)

Canterbury

Tries: Jones 30

Conversions: Reynolds 31

Penalties: Reynolds 4, 22, 59

Heatherley, Jones (Young 73), Morgan, Waddington, Moss (Williams 40), Reynolds, Farrance (Moss 50), Frostick (Cooper 40), O’Donoghue, Herriot (Frostick 75), Irvine (De Moubray 63), Stephens, Thomas, MacKenzie (Rogers 53), Oliver

Reps: Cooper, Rogers, De Moubray, Williams, Young

Star Man: Marcus Lowe (Henley)

Referee: Tom Bird

Attendance: 187

Halftime scoreline: Henley 5–13 Canterbury  

Match photos courtesy of Matthew Boden available here.