Hawks prey on Blues

Relegation confirmation a whisker away as Colts victory gives Newbury a source of hope

Henley Hawks 87 Newbury Blues 5

ONE more defeat and Blues can finally officially write a dotted line under this dreadful season and confirm their dive back to whence the club came 25 years ago.

The manner of their latest defeat on Saturday followed the pattern of so many others. It was a battling effort, undone by a lack of power, experience, presence and fitness levels, and a preponderance of naïve tackling and defending.

Had Henley functioned in the first half, it might have been another three-figure drubbing. Credit went to Newbury as well for limiting the damage, holding out for 10 minutes and keeping it to 26-5 at the break.

But once Henley had brought on skipper James Gaunt and the highly-rated Chris Bart at the interval, it was one-way traffic as Henley posted 61 points without reply, the second highest 40 minutes return of any club against Blues this term.

Blues fielded yet another vastly changed side, which included prop Nathan Thomas in the second row, but they kept in touch for 10 minutes until full back James Comben eased home for seven points and Andy Gale's yellow car for killing the ball saw two more tries from Danny Wells and ex-Blue Gavin Turner before number eight Tom Stradwick reached the corner to make it 26-0.

Blues got a consolation before the interval from the inevitable form of prop Tom Fidler, who rounded off a spell of forward pressure in which hooker Matt Holyland had been prominent.

But despite having prop James Hadfield in the sin-bin for the first 10 minutes of the second half, Henley pummelled Blues into submission, with tight head Alex Penny touching down within two minutes of the re-start when penalty try was inevitable anyway, and Wells striking again before Henley were back to strength.

Ryan Long, Tom Allen and Stradwick with two apiece and Bart with another brace at pace all scythed through a splintered Newbury rearguard, and now the coup de grace may await at Old Albanians on Saturday.

BLUES' future hopefuls remain on course for something better however, after the club's Colts side beat Hornets of Weston Super Mare 26-7 to reach the semi-finals of the National Colts Cup the tries coming from Ben West,

Sean Chamunorwa and Alex Millar with two as Newbury joined fellow Berkshire representatives Redingensians, Bedford and Moseley in the last four.