Match report and photo courtesy of the

Penryn are hamstrung by Hocking

Sam Hocking showed-off his finishing abilities when he grabbed four touchdowns

Maidenhead exuded a gloss to their finishing on Saturday as Penryn were polished-off in this second round Powergen Trophy clash at Braywick.

The shining light on the day was former colt Sam Hocking who touched down four times, many of them notable end products, in the midst of Maids’ nine-try demolition job. Penryn were no fall guys, and bagged three tries of their own, but whether their second trip to Berkshire in two weeks counted againt them or whether they were simply no match for their hosts as an attacking force, either way the writing was on the wall from the first whistle.

Maids were always looking to use their pace and enterprise in the backs to good effect, underlined by the fact that specialist kicker Rob Hawkins was initially replaced as full-back in the starting line-up by the elusive Dan Martin. However, an injury to Martin in the warm-up meant the experienced Hawkins played 80 minutes, and in the process, kicked 20 points and even earned a himself a rare touchdown.

Maids dominance was clear from the start, when following the kick-off and a maul, second rower Mark Mueller broke through the ineffective defence to touchdown with one minute on the clock. Minutes later Simon Cripps sprung the midfield defence and set up Ben Ayres for a score, but the pass was deemed forward. No matter, Maids recovered their attacking intent and took the score to 12-0 on 10 minutes when a mis-pass from Ayres, which was almost intercepted, found the willing Hocking who ran around the static defence to score. Maids’ awesome begining was completed when, after various phases, Jonny Hammond eluded three half-hearted tackles to skip over the line.

Penryn did respond with a try and then a penalty to leave them trailing 19-8, but it was the closest they got, as a free-running Maids weaved through or around a bemused defence. Hocking underscored this with an electric run down the wing which left the visitors trailing in his wake, and in Maids’ 29-8 at the break.

What Penryn needed was an early score, but it was the hosts who extended their advantage when Hammond cleverly intercepted a pass, off-loaded to Alex Greer, who eventually gifted Hocking the most straightforward of opportunities. Penryn retained their fight and spirit, once again reducing the deficit with a blindside move which led to a touchdown, but it was a case of one step forward, two steps back as Maids poured on the pressure with 20 minutes remaining.

Greer was the recipient on the end of some champagne team rugby, Hawkins touched down under the posts after supporting a Mark Ruddick break and then James Morris capitalised on the good work of the rampaging Piers Morgan. Hocking ended Maids’ scoring with a fantastic individual effort which began on the left flank and finished under the posts with Penryn tacklers hardly laying a finger on him. A pushover try at the death gave the visitors a high point on which to end, but it was meagre pickings. While Maids were never tested to the limit, they did what they had to do with the opponents in front of them, and what they did was entertaining and very watchable.

Maidenhead: Hawkins, Greer, Hammond, Cripps, Hocking, Ruddick, Ayres, Blackwell, Dance, Johnston, King, Mueller, Gallina, Vorster, Jones. Subs: Cox, Morgan, Edwards, Parkhouse, Grove, Morris. Penryn: Brown, Vague, Webster, Hymans, Hocking, Gregory, Strick, Hale, Wells, Court, Pryer, Hughes, Peseta, Jago, Doney. Subs: Kirk, Short, Burns, Pellow.

Backs to the fore as Maids attack (23.09.05)
For the first time in a number of seasons maybe, just maybe, Maidenhead will deliver on their promise to run the ball wide, and their opponents ragged, at every opportunity. As Saturday’s 65-20 demolition of Penryn in the Powergen National Trophy showed, Maids have the talent in the backs, but it’s whether they have the bravery and commitment to implement this style change. Coach Simon Edwards is convinced this is the way forward, saying: “We have to score tries if we are to be competitive. “We have an exciting set of backs and we need to make use of them.” Edwards signalled his intent by picking silky-skilled Dan Martin at full-back for Saturday’s clash with Penryn, but a warm-up injury forced a late change. But it did not stop the hosts using their three-quarters to good effect. Maids ran riot behind the scrum, exposing Penryn’s frailties out wide, while highlighting their own youthful, cutting edge. Edwards said: “It was a game we wanted. After a good pre-season and a win against just-promoted Chippenham, we were sill to be tested. “Penryn was a good gauger for us and I was pleased with the performance and our ability to finish. “Penryn are never a bad side, but we made them look ordinary at times.” The only downside were injuries to four-try hero Sam Hocking (hamstring) and centre Jonny Hammond (thigh), to go with Martin’s hamstring woes. However, flanker Will Lowden is back for tomorrow’s (Saturday’s) league clash at Clifton in a match which Edwards is realistic about. He said: “We’re depleted, but we’ll give it our best shot. Clifton haven’t lost yet this season and they comfortably beat us twice last season. “But if we go and get a result it could prove to be the springboard for a big season.”