Henley started determined to make amends for their early season trouncing by the Foresters but eventually succumbed to a determined display of forward power from the Cinderford pack. The Oxfordshire outfit took the lead after just three minutes when scrum-half George Jackson kicked a penalty down a blustery North wind. Cinderford, however, set out their stall by shoving the Henley scrum a full ten metres at the first scrum but the Hawks had the best of the possession in a scrappy first quarter.

The game then sprang to life when Cinderford drove a maul fully forty metres before moving the ball wide where open side Lewis Beer drove over.  The foresters crossed again when centre Ed Bogue gathered a Henley knock on and switched with wing Rueben Norville who cut through three attempted tackles to dot down. Jackson responded with another penalty just before the break.

Half Time Cinderford 10 Henley 6

Cinderford turned the screw in the second period with driving mauls yielding tries for prop Tim Brockett and then blind -side Aaron Ryan who both crossed after storming play by the forest pack. Replacement Robbie Winchle made a welcome and telling return to action after a long lay off. The centre stripping the ball from his opposite number before putting away wing Alex Frame who crossed wide out. Fly-half Liam Hemming converted and shortly afterwards capped Cinderford’s day by ghosting through a static Henley defence to score beneath the posts and convert.

STAR MAN Cinderford skipper George Porter