Saturday 3rd December 2022
RFU Counties League 2 Herts/Middlesex
Hendon RFC 54 - 5 Barnet Elizabethans RFC
Hendon get back to winning ways with a comprehensive performance in local derby.
From the kick off playing down the slope Barnet put the Hendon defence under pressure for the first 10 minutes without a score as the home outfit stopped all attacks in their own half. Then a break from defence by Chris Kiyingi was supported by Cian Hynes then TJ O’Sullivan along with Nick Pope and then Rob Casey for the final pass to Rossa Dooley to score a Hynes converted try 7-0.
Hendon now realised their potential and from the restart Captain Nick Andrews broke the Barnet defence to drive up-field to the Barnet 22.A quick tap penalty resulted, which Kiyingi collected and scored with Hynes converting to go 14-0 ahead.
20 minutes into play Barnet were again penalised giving Hendon the opportunity to set up a forwards' maul into the opposition 22 with scrum half Max Treharne passing wide to Hynes to score Hendon's third try in the corner which he then converted to push Hendon 21-0 ahead.
Hendon maintained the forward pressure with Barnet being penalised again. From the resulting line-out Hendon hooker David Jenkins' accurate throw to Dooley set up a rolling maul to the try line with Jenkins scoring a Hynes converted try as the home outfit took a commanding lead at 28-0 on 35 minutes.
Hendon put all their players into the next attack in the Barnet half, but turnover ball enabled the Barnet fly half to chip over the Hendon backline, collect his own kick and score in the corner making it 28 points to 5 points at the half-time whistle.
Into the second period Hendon went straight into attack with Kiyingi collecting and shrugging off 3 defenders going over to score the next try with Hynes converting 35-5.
The next move was a training ground classic from the set piece scrum as JT Moncher finished off with a try in the right hand corner and meant Hendon had to clocked up 40 points mid-way through the period. Casey set up the next score but was tackled short of the line for Hendon forwards to set up a maul only for Casey to collect the resulting pass to score under the sticks for another Hynes converted try taking the lead to 47-5 with five minutes remaining.
Finally, In the last move of the match another training ground backline move saw Casey again taking the ball from Dooley to score with Hynes having the last word to convert to finish an excellent result at 54 points to 5.
Director of Rugby, Phil Smith was delighted with the dominant forwards' performance and welcomed back fly half Rob Casey from long term injury to lead the line.
In the clubhouse after the game Club Captain, Toby Ikueke presented man of the match, hooker David Jenkins, who is taking up a post in Dubai, with Hendon memorabilia and thanked him for not only scoring a farewell try but for all the work he had done for the club's Social Media and Marketing and of course his contribution on the pitch.
