Stourton Park welcomed back former head coach Mike Umaga, in attendance watching son Jacob - on loan from Wasps’ academy - turn out for the visitors at centre.

With senior players Adam Sturdy and Rod Petty at the helm the front row was again rotated, Tom Harrison & Sam Wilkes returning to the starting lineup. Derryn Jones came in at lock, replacing the injured Nick Murphy who found himself a job on the tannoy. In the backs Petty dropped to the bench with Luke White starting at full back alongside winger Ash Elvers.

An offside at the kick reception put Stour straight under pressure, Hinckley pressed but fluffed a short-range lineout and Stour cleared. Back came the visitors, opting to kick penalty awards to the corner and drawing a warning for Stour from referee Kevin White for persistent offending. A well worked catch & drive produced a try in the corner for no.8 Alex Salt that was converted by Conor Bullivant. 10min 0-7.

Stour’s restart kick chase produced a Nigel Mukarati turnover that Joe Heatley chipped to the corner to secure a penalty for holding on. Stour opted to scrum and a set of short-range drives eventually saw centre James Otutaha crash over in trademark fashion. White converted, 15min 7-7.

Stour again fluffed the kick reception but Hinckley’s attack was comfortably contained. Skipper Ciaran Moore drove through the first up defences from the scrum, Mukarati’s follow-up taking Stour into Hinckley territory but a handling error halted the promising move. An infield kick exchange produced another Stour attack that caught the visitors’ defences offside, White slotting the kick from the 22 to nudge Stour ahead. 24min 10-7.

Stour finally secured a restart and launched a flowing move that put Otutaha clean through. The ball reached flanker Liam Munro but he lacked support, Hinckley forcing a turnover to clear. With the visitors’ defences tightened up, both sides continued to probe but failed to sustain any attacks of significance. A Hinckley catch & drive near the Stour 22 was penalised for an obstruction, and the half drew to a close with no further scoring.

The visitors pressed an early 2nd half attack into the Stour 22 but the defences contained it comfortably, isolated a ball carrier and forced a penalty for holding on. Stour patiently worked an attack downfield but a scoring pass was dropped just short of the Hinckley line. Back they came from the clearance though, a clean break by centre Nathan Tilsley setting up a move that saw prop Harrison adjudged held up in in-goal. Moore picked up at the scrum and the ball was worked down the short side to Elvers who barged off a tackle attempt to score in the corner. 50min 15-7.

With the Stour defences holding firm further Hinckley catch & drive attempts proved fruitless. An overcooked Stour lineout produced a break by Umaga that reached the Stour 22, with one eye on the scoreboard Hinckley finally opted to take 3 points from a penalty award. 66min 15-10. Jones saw yellow for a shoulder charge leaving a depleted Stour to close the game out. Their short ball game proved effective in running the clock down, handling errors denying Hinckley’s desperate attempts to run the ball around. With the game opening up winger Josh Trinham finally got some space in attack, his offload would have produced a try but for a deliberate knock on by opposite number Scott Hamilton that drew a yellow card. White lined up a goalkick but pushed it wide, the final whistle went with the result unaffected but the visitors taking a well-deserved bonus point.

This Saturday Stour make the long trek to Corbridge to take on Tynedale. At Stourton Park the table-topping Lions host local rivals Kidderminster Carolians in a festive derby, ko 2.30pm.