They took the game to the visitors, providing arguably their most physical challenge to date, but a workmanlike Saxons performance was enough to not only score 5 tries but also prevent the hosts from crossing their tryline. The match highlights included a welcome return from injury for Ben Barkley and a man-of-the-match performance in the trenches by hooker Stewart Pearl.

The Saxons won the toss and captain Nathan Bressington opted to receive the kickoff defending the south eastern end first, giving the hosts first use of both a gusting fresh westerly breeze and a gentle slope. They announced their intentions early with a 10m drive off the maul from the kickoff, followed by a trademark Ben Barkley bash down the midfield. Kicks were exchanged before an offside enabled Lions’ centre Jon Boden to slot an early penalty. 5min 3-0.

The hosts found touch near halfway, the Saxons’ lineout throw secured and moved left. Recycled ball came back right to Nigel Mukarati who spotted the opposition’s tighthead in the defensive line and promptly burnt him for pace on the outside. He made it to the shadow of the posts before quick ball was shipped right again to Bressington who drew the defence before offloading a neat scoring pass to Tom Jarvis on his inside shoulder. Jamie Hearn’s touchline conversion attempt rebounded off the crossbar. 10min 3-5.

The next two Saxons’ attacks stalled from turnovers, but eventually they ran a 22 dropout back and forced a penalty for side entry that drew a lecture for the hosts’ captain for persistent offending. The ball was kicked to the corner and moved wide left where the Lions’ fullback killed the ball at the tackle to earn himself a yellow card. Another kick to the corner followed, but an accidental offside was conceded at the lineout. The squeeze went on the Lions’ scrum and their front row were penalised for standing. The Saxons opted for another scrum, up went the front rows again but referee Michael Cooper took the view that the Saxons were at fault and penalised them, allowing the hosts to clear their lines.

With a sense of injustice burning the Saxons counterattacked from a clearance kick that Jarvis fielded just outside his 22. Demonstrating patience and great handling and recycling they drove back into the Lions’ half, stretching the defence by moving play from one touchline to another and back again. Hearn looked to be clear but a loose pass forced the Saxons to rebuild, and with the phase count well into double figures and at least 11 Saxons having handled the ball it came to Bressington on the right wing. He cut back inside before linking with Robbie Hurrell who crashed over in the right corner for arguably the best try the Saxons have scored all season. Hearn made no mistake with the conversion, 24min 3-12.

With the hosts still a man down the Saxons opted to twist the knife and ran the restart straight back. The ball was moved left, right then left again before Sione Tu’ipolotu saw an opportunity to create some space and straightened the line to draw several tacklers. The ball was recycled quickly left where Jarvis scorched round the Lions’ outside half and turned the afterburners on from halfway. The wrongfooted covering winger was handed off enabling Jarvis to score under the posts from fully 60m out. Hearn duly converted, 3-19 and the hosts looking shellshocked from the Saxons’ blitz.

Alas it wasn’t to last and Barkley then mistimed a tackle and got a yellow card. The Saxons ambitions for the next 10min were reduced to keeping the hosts out and playing short-phase keep-ball to wind the clock down. This they managed to do successfully, the hosts opting several times to kick penalties into the corner were but held up each time. Frustration led to a flareup between the packs just before Pete White was able to kick it out for the halftime whistle with the Saxons back up to a full complement. Halftime 3-19.

The hosts allowed the 2nd half kick off to bounce into touch but secured the lineout and a penalty for side entry at the subsequent maul, Ben Hughes’ request for dialogue being met by a 10m advance from Mr Cooper. A further infringement in defence offered an easy 3 point shot which Boden accepted. 42min 6-19.

Some off the ball exchanges following a maul earned both captains a lecture. A trade of front row scrum penalties and a reversal following some ‘afters’ preceded kick exchanges and solid Saxons defensive work as the hosts ran the ball at them. Nick Adams replaced Mark George, preceding a completely unrelated yellow card for Will Hurrell killing the ball in the red zone. Boden again opted for 3 points. 54min 9-19.

With a man advantage the Lions tried to run the restart out of their 22, but a knock-on provided turnover ball that was worked left to Drew Harper who conjured something out of nothing by blasting through the defensive line from 30m out to score the bonus point 4th try. 55min 9-24.

The hosts persisted with their ball in hand game and eventually won a penalty in the Saxons’ midfield for offside. Curiously though they opted for another shot at goal, 59min 12-24. A further attempt to run the deep restart from their 22 nearly paid off as the hosts managed to break down the right wing but a pass was dropped, the Saxons secured the scrum ball and wound the clock down on the sinbin with a set of short midfield drives and excellent ball retention. James Rodley replaced Edgie. The Lions twice got the ball in their hands in subsequent phases but coughed it up both times, once after a trademark Mukarati big hit. From the scrum platform in the Lions’ 22 the Saxons moved it left, quick ball then fed short to Rodley coming in at pace to break the tackles and crash over for a try that Hearn converted. 67min 12-31.

The hosts pressed back into Saxons territory, aided by the odd penalty including one for quite unnecessary verbals. But they couldn’t hold on to the ball and the Saxons were able to clear their lines. A punch on Hughes earned a Lions replacement a yellow card as the clock ticked down but the Saxons knocked on in the drive for the line and with no further significant phases of play the final whistle sounded. Full time 12-31.

Commenting on the performance, coach Mike Umaga observed ‘A good performance today, some discipline issues aside, we were worth our win having shut out some pretty abrasive opponents. We’ve again showed that we have multiple dimensions to our play – we can grind it out where necessary but we scored some lovely long range tries today by putting the ball through the hands. Overall we performed much better than last week, sticking to the task in hand and showing some urgency when necessary’.