RUGBY UNION: KENILWORTH scored eight tries to secure an impressive 53-13 victory against Worcester Wanderers at Glasshouse Lane on Saturday, writes Sophie Freestone.
Victories have been sparse for Kenilworth this season but the bonus-point win puts them just four points behind fellow strugglers Crewe and Nantwich with three matches left to play.
The hosts opened the scoring after ten minutes when winger Rhys Jones made a break up the middle of the park. Quick hands took the ball out to the left wing where Harry Kaufman scooped up the ball from a ruck to crash over from one metre out, but Josh Hickman’s conversion was just wide.
Seven minutes later Wanderers cut the gap to two points with a penalty before two converted tries, from Ed Hannam and Bobby Thompson, and a penalty from Hickman gave Kenilworth a commanding 22-3 half-time lead.
The hosts came out firing in the second half too, securing the bonus point inside the opening two minutes when flanker Mikkel Andresen rounded the Wanderers defence to touch down under the posts. Hickman added the extras to extend his side’s lead to 26 points.
Wanderers responded immediately, however, with a try on the right following an excellent solo run through the Kenilworth defence. The conversion was just off target, keeping the score at 29-8 to the hosts.
With the match entering the final half hour, Kenilworth continued to threaten the visitors’ defence and Jones once again made an excellent break into the Worcester 22. Gaz Renowden was in support and, under pressure, Jones got the offload away to give Renowden an easy run in to score for a 34-8 lead.
As was the case earlier in the second half, Worcester’s response to conceding another try was to once again score one of their own just four minutes later. Their try on the right cut the gap to 21 points but the conversion attempt was off target.
Winger Liam Leeson then made the most of a Wanderers error to extend Kenilworth’s lead with another converted try as the match entered the final quarter. Leeson scooped up a loose ball before racing over the whitewash as his side held a 41-13 lead with 19 minutes left on the clock.
Renowden then added his second of the afternoon just three minutes later, spotting a gaping hole in the visitors’ defence to race over the line.
With the 50-mark looming the hosts were not to be denied and fly half Harry O’Brien danced his way through the Worcester defence to score, before Hickman’s conversion secured a comprehensive 53-13 victory.
