With the backs unchanged from the previous week’s lineup the pack saw Mark George return at loosehead prop, accompanying Chad Thorne promoted from the bench at tighthead. Stef Thorpe & the evergreen Adam Sturdy offered bench cover where they were joined by Ash Elvers.

Otley hoofed an early penalty to the Stour 22 where their attempted driving maul appeared to have been comfortably held up, but a foray down the narrow side caught the visitors’ defences napping and winger Paul Petchey scored in the corner.

A side-entry offence by Otley produced Stour’s first scoring opportunity but Chris Scott’s shot from the touchline flew wide. With both sides’ defences holding firm it wasn’t until the 2nd quarter until a Stour attack reached the Otley 22, but their driving maul got held up and they turned possession back over. A fluffed Otley clearance kick allowed Stour to counter though, and after a well-constructed set of phases a break by scrum half Joe Heatley set up a try for centre James Otutaha that was converted by Scott to level the scores.
A tackle offence by Stour offered Otley a penalty attempt but fullback Tom Hodson pushed his kick wide to leave the halftime scores level at 7-7.

The opening exchanges of the 2nd half saw Stour set up another attacking maul in Otley’s 22, but this too was held up for a turnover. Stour pressed an attack but were penalised at a scrum. Otley kicked clear and their threequarters ran the resulting lineout ball, breaking through Stour’s first-up defences, a clinical draw & give pass producing a 2nd try for Petchey on the hour mark. Hodson converted.

A clean break by flanker Nigel Mukarati looked to have put replacement Billy Harding clear to score, but a last-ditch tackle in the in-goal knocked the ball from his grasp and the chance went begging. Undeterred Stour mounted another sustained assault on the Otley tryline, a short-range penalty tapped and ran but a grounding was ruled held-up and – despite a rash of scrum offences - Otley’s defences held tight until a Stour handling error relieved the siege. Full time 14-7

This Saturday Stour host Leicestershire-based Hinckley, 3pm ko.