Unveiling a more complete game than has previously been on show, the Saxons’ forwards largely discarded the battering ram approach and provided a steady flow of quick, clean ball that afforded the threequarters plenty of time and space. The result was some fine attacking play that thrilled the spectators, including a try from a length of the field counterattack. 6 of their 9 tries were scored by the backs including a Jamie Hearn hat-trick.

With James Rodley suspended Ben Hughes started on the blindside flank with Robbie Hurrell returning at lock. Captain Nathan Bressington also returned to the starting lineup pushing Sam Baker back to the bench, which also featured a debut for openside flanker Ejike ‘Edgie’ Uzoigwe.

Otley kicked off and the Saxons ran it back at them, reaching the 22 before turning the ball over as Otley counterrucked but then conceded a scrum for accidental offside. The Saxons got a drive on and were awarded a penalty for Otley’s flanker breaking early, Caolan Ryan securing the 3 points via a glancing contact with the left upright. 6min 3-0 and Edgie got on early replacing Rich Stott.

Otley coughed up a penalty shortly after the restart gifting an attacking lineout in their own half, but the Saxons knocked on. A big Nigel Mukarati hit knocked the ball loose as Otley drove from the scrum, this was gathered by Drew Harper who got to within a couple of metres of the tryline but fluffed the scoring pass. Otley got little distance on the clearance kick enabling the Saxons to launch a catch and driving maul that went 15m with Otley shearing off several times but being told ‘same maul’ by referee Rob Warburton. Harper bagged the try which Ryan converted, 11min 10-0.

An Otley offside in defence provided another attacking lineout in their 22, quick ball off the top fed to Ryan who chipped through for Sione Tu’ipolotu but he was adjudged to have been in front as it was kicked. Otley cleared but their next move stalled with a knock on then their loosehead was penalised for standing up in the scrum. Ryan found touch in the Otley half and the Saxons attack drew a penalty for another offside that Ryan again converted, 20min 13-0.

The restart preceded a brief kicking duel, Otley opting to run from deep and achieving some penetration to reach the Saxons’ 22 where a penalty was conceded. Otley declined the 3pts and went for the corner, securing a scrum as their lineout was disrupted. With a Saxons drive on the Otley no.8 fumbled the pick up and the ball was secured by Bressington just a couple of metres short of his his tryline. It was shipped quickly left down the backline where it found Tom Jarvis coming in at pace, and with the Otley defence skinned he drew the fullback and fed Hearn who ran it in from the halfway line to rapturous applause. 24min 18-0, the woodwork less helpful to Ryan this time.

Otley secured an interception from the restart and launched an attack that drew another Saxons defensive penalty that they opted to kick at goal. 29min 18-3, Nick Adams replacing Tom Brown who needed treatment for a bleeding head wound.

Otley couldn’t move the ball from the restart and were eventually forced to kick deep as they ran out of options. The Saxons came back at them, recycling through several patient phases before Ryan tried to exploit a mismatch he’d spotted in the defensive line but lost the ball in contact. Further kicks were exchanged before Otley regathered a Bressington chargedown and broke down the right wing. A magnificent last ditch Ryan tackle pulled down Otley’s fullback just short of the line, the pass out of the tackle just checking his winger enough for Bressington to pull him down as well. With the Otley support slow arriving the Saxons counterrucked but spoiled the good defensive work with a knock on at the base. Nick Adams was penalised but redeemed himself when Otley unwisely opted to re-scrum and were shunted unceremoniously off their own ball, Lucas Roy-Smith clearing his lines.

Otley turned over the ball immediately from the lineout, enabling the Saxons to counterattack to the right and then quickly recycle and move it left where Hughes was lurking in the outfield. Spotting a front row opponent struggling to cover across he broke through the defence before feeding Hearn in support who crossed for his 2nd try. Ryan converted 38min 25-3. A further Otley attack from a restart intercept failed to make any headway against sound Saxons defence, half time 25-3.

Otley’s loosehead conceded another scrum penalty for not binding correctly at a scrum following a restart knock-on, feeding a further straightforward penalty kick to Ryan. 42min 28-3.

Hughes secured the restart and the Saxons got a big driving maul on that advanced 20m before Roy-Smith found touch in the Otley 22. Their drive from the lineout stalled just outside the 22, forcing a high infield kick that was secured by Jarvis near his own 10m line. Having stepped the solitary chaser he looked up and, finding wide open spaces in front of him, hared off in the direction of the scoreboard corner. The cover finally got to him 5m short of the line but he found Bressington in support who scored wide right. 45min 33-3 and the bonus point in the bag.

A Robbie Hurrell catch & run from the restart enabled Roy-Smith to plant it again long into the Otley half where some big hits forced a turnover but the Saxons knocked on. Otley were starting to ship water, this time a scrum taken against the head preceding a big charge down the middle from Will Hurrell that stalled with an accidental offside. Otley tried to run a scrum penalty out of their own 22 but coughed it up, enabling the Saxons to run it back at them with the defence all at sea. Roy-Smith made a half-break on the 22 before finding Edgie on his inside shoulder who stepped inside and carried 2 defenders over the tryline with him. Ryan converted, 52min 40-3.

Stung into action Otley counterrucked the Saxons off ball they’d moved from the restart catch. Hearn seemed to have secured a chip he gathered just short of the tryline but an alert Otley forward who’d read his lawbook stuck a hand in to ground the ball that was lying on the tryline. Try & conversion scored, 55min 40-10. Baker having just replaced Bressington, on came Adams and Jordan Page for Mark George and Stewart Pearl.

A nicely worked restart was recovered and the ball moved left where Baker put in a neat grubber kick that found nobody at home in the Otley backfield. Hearn gathered and fed inside to loosehead Brown who scored his first try, Ryan converting. 58min 47-10 and on came Pete White for Roy-Smith.

Otley hadn’t given up though, securing the restart and drawing a penalty for a high tackle. But their 2nd row drove without support from a maul, coughing up a soft turnover that Adams secured. The ball was shipped quickly through sets of hands, reaching Robbie Hurrell who fed an inside pass to White who chipped the defender and regathered, leaving a simple draw & give on the last defender that gave the supporting Hearn his hat-trick. Ryan again converted, 61min 54-10.

Otley came back again, securing a penalty for offside that was tapped & run into the Saxons 22 where they coughed up a soft interception. Otley attacked again from the clearance lineout, a last ditch Pete White tackle holding them out before they ran out of attackers and conceded a penalty for holding on. An attempted offload in the Saxons midfield was intercepted but again the defence reformed more quickly than Otley could move the ball and possession was conceded with a knock on. Otley’s pack sheared away completely at the scrum, playing advantage the Saxons moved the ball left where a neat Tu’ipolotu inside pass put Baker clear as he came in from the right wing. With options inside and out he fed Jarvis who scored, Ryan again converting. 73min 61-10.

Otley came again but knocked on near the Saxons 22, Jarvis came into the line and made big yardage as the ball was moved right in the counterattack but eventually Jamie Hearn was stripped of possession and Otley tried to counter. Mukarati secured loose ball that was shipped left where Page’s inside pass found Baker who broke a tackle before putting White in for the final try. Ryan converted as the clock ticked over, full time 68-10.

Commenting on the victory coach Mike Umaga said : “We showed a further dimension to our game today, greater cohesion as a team with the performance of the backs complementing the work of the forwards who generated a steady supply of quick ball. We showed some good stuff in attack and dispelled any myths about us being 1-trick ponies. Otley are one of most adventurous teams in this league, averaging over 31 points a game and they looked to attack whenever they could today, but our defensive efforts were outstanding. They were lucky to come away with 10 points, and we will hold a side to nil once we hit our straps.”