As it was Hoppers were left to rue left 11 points in missed goal kicks. By contrast Jamie Hearn slotted all 3 penalties and 3 of 4 conversions he attempted, giving the Saxons a 12 point margin and an unprecedented 14th sequential bonus point win. But nothing should be taken away from the Saxons’ performance, particularly the forwards who imposed themselves through sheer physicality, most especially in the tight where they forced a penalty try from a scrum and drove a 14-man maul over for the bonus point try with time up on referee Andrew Vertigan's watch.

This was as stiff a challenge as the game at Sheffield Tigers, the Saxons had to withstand a stern test of character as Hoppers rallied strongly after halftime to score 4 tries and looked more than capable of wresting back the lead. As it was they became the first opponents this season to have secured a try bonus point against the Saxons.

The starting pack was unchanged from the Hull Ionians game 2 weeks back, the threequarters showed one injury change (Ben Barkley for Gary Dipple), one unavailability (Sione Tu’ipolotu replacing Caolan Ryan who had been recalled by Moseley for the B&I cup game in Gala), and one positional with Will Hurrell moving to the outside centre berth. There was wholesale change on the bench where Nick Adams was joined by Lucas Roy-Smith, Stefan Cooksammy, Ed Garbett and Dale Garner. A late physio cry-off brought a call for help to the injured Gary Dipple who provided cover for the day.

Hoppers kicked off, the Saxons conceded a scrum from a forward pass but immediately had the Hoppers’ pack under pressure at the scrum. A solid Nigel Mukarati tackle caused the ball carrier to cough up 2nd phase ball which was gathered and run back through the hands from the Saxons 22 to be halted illegally by a high tackle on Jamie Hearn near halfway. The penalty was kicked to the hosts’ 22 where the lineout throw was secured by Robbie Hurrell. The maul drive stalled and the ball was gifted back through a knock on, the hosts kicking clear to find Will Hurrell covering, his direct run drew a further penalty when a tackler failed to roll away. Pete White ran it quickly and gained a not 10m advance, a relatively easy 3 points was declined and the ball kicked to the stand side corner where the subsequent maul went to floor. The ball was worked left where Will Hurrell straightened the line to commit the inside defence allowing White to move it quickly left again where Nathan Bressington had come off his wing to put a deft chip in behind the defenders. Sam Baker won the race to the ball, hacked it through & was able to ground it unchallenged for the opening try. 5min 0-5.

Hearn found touch from the restart, from which Hoppers launched a set of short driving phases which advanced slowly to the Saxons 22 before Ben Hughes was able to turn over an isolated ball carrier but an AR intervention resulted in a penalty which Hoppers opted to kick to the corner but knocked on in the lineout. The Saxons pack got a big shove on in the scrum from which the hosts sheared off and were penalised, they repeated the trick shortly after - this time driving Hoppers off their own scrum feed before another handling error snuffed out a promising attack, though Preston’s attempted counter was snuffed out by the alert White. They tried again from another turnover and it looked ominous when their right winger carved his way through the sparsely populated openside defence, but a good cover tackle from White & smart work by Baker forced a penalty for hanging on in the tackle. The Saxons kicked for position and drove from the lineout enabling Baker to drop another chip behind the onrushing defence, Hearn gleefully grounded it only to find that he had been adjudged marginally in front of the kicker. Preston cleared their lines and drew a penalty for a high tackle from which they missed a kick at goal. Several more turnovers were exchanged then a Saxons loop move worked an overlap to the right, the defence holding them up just short though and the drive looking to have stalled before a defender came in the side to concede a penalty smack in front of the posts that Hearn converted. 22min 0-8.

Following a kick exchange Preston's scrum was shunted another 10m back before their scrum half conceded a penalty for coming offside. Tu’ipolotu found touch in the 22, the Saxons secured lineout ball but were unable again to get a maul moving. The ball was shifted right where quick 2nd phase ball was worked to Sam Baker who offloaded inside to Ben Barkley who scored a nicely worked try. Hearn converted, 27min 0-15.

The kick return went out on the full, giving Hoppers useful field position from which they drove a maul. A speculative pass that would have put the winger in the corner failed to go to hand so Mr Vertigan went back for a Saxons penalty offence on the floor. After another corner kick the Hoppers drove a maul to the Saxons line where they knocked on, but another advantage was being played and captain Bressington got a lecture from Mr Vertigan. With the Saxons’ defences under pressure from both opposition and referee the ‘reload’ option looked a probability but the Hoppers instead opted for an easy 3 pointer that Taylor was able to convert. 32min 3-15.

From another solid scrum the Saxons moved it left then right where James Rodley’s pass just failed to find Robbie Hurrell running in support. In what was becoming a pattern Hoppers again looked to counter from the turnover but the alert Saxons defence managed to contain it. Scrambled scrum ball enabled Hoppers to make good distance with a break out wide before Ben Barkley was penalised for going off his feet attempting a steal at the tackle. Hoppers kicked it to the 22 but were turned over in the lineout allowing Tu’ipolotu to clear their lines. Hoppers next attack was held out by solid tackling until a defender strayed offside at a ruck near the 10m line, the Hoppers tapped and ran but the defence realigned quickly to force a knock-on. Drew Harper broke clear from the scrum but it came to nought as an accidental offside drew the half time whistle, 3-15.

Preston’s centre drifted offside when they looked to kick back the restart, gifting Jamie Hearn a straightforward penalty attempt on the 22. 41min 3-18.

The drizzle intensified, drawing a kicking duel from which the significant shot landed deep in the Saxons 22 affording Bressington little angle on the return. Ben Hughes went in the side of the maul, enabling Hoppers to go for the corner but the maul stalled and they knocked on in the subsequent short phases. The immediate danger seemed to have passed but crucially Harper was stripped of the ball in the tackle as he broke from the base of the scrum, enabling Hoppers to counter. They drew a penalty for offside that was run to the right where their outside half crossed for a try, though the conversion was pushed right. 49min 8-18.

The restart was kicked deep, the long return looked to be covered by Harper who had just been receiving attention but he knocked on. Hearn picked it up and attempted to clear the danger but the advancing Preston winger managed to deflect and catch the ball for the easiest of run-in’s, the Saxons cover though rewarded when he was kept far enough from the posts for Taylor to again miss the conversion. Alarm bells ringing in the Saxons camp, 51min 13-18.

Tu’ipolotu’s scuffed restart did little to calm the nerves, but the Saxons pack turned the screw on their opponents at the scrum and Hoppers knocked on at the base. The Saxons attacked in midfield, drawing a defender offside to set up an attacking lineout in the Hoppers’ 22. Bressington was forced into touch just inches short of the tryline but the long lineout throw went loose and Mr Vertigan awarded the Saxons a 5m scrum. On came the shove, backwards went the Hoppers pack and down eventually went their 2nd row. Mr Vertigan had few options and showed no hesitation in awarding a penalty try that Hearn duly converted. 58min 13-25.

Stefan Cooksammy replaced Baker, Hearn moved to fullback and banged the restart back to touch near the Saxons 10m line. Another kicking duel followed – Hoppers testing the rearranged Saxons back 3 and eventually securing a lineout in the 22. They ran it right and were awarded a penalty for not releasing in the tackle, this was tapped and run left where after a quick recycle the Saxons defence was overrun and Hoppers’ inside centre barged over. 64min, 18-25.

On came Dale Garner and Nick Adams. Hoppers tried to run the restart back but carelessly knocked on near their 22 and were then penalised for walking the scrum round under intense pressure, offering Hearn a simple 3 points. 68min 18-28.

After a rash of turnovers were exchanged the Saxons were penalised at the scrum as a front row knee hit the floor. Hoppers kicked it into touch and drove a maul from which a series of short drives failed to penetrate the defence but they secured a scrum in the shadow of the posts. After a few short drives they flooded the right side where a decent offload enabled their abrasive no.8 to score. Different goalkicker, same result though and 5 missed goal kicks had come back to haunt them. 76min 23-28.

Hoppers’ kick return set up a Saxons lineout near halfway, scrappy ball was worked back to Tu’ipolotu running straight downfield into contact into his opposite number who came off distinctly second best and had to be helped from the pitch. The Saxons kicked deep into the Hoppers 22 and an excellent kick chase prevented the counter as the Hoppers looked to chase the game with ball in hand. A Hoppers knock on gifted the Saxons possession with barely a minute on the clock, they got a drive on at the scrum and moved it left where eventually Ben Hughes stayed on his feet in contact to enable a maul to be formed. Nick Adams marshalled the arriving troops and with all but one of the backs flying in as well it was driven over with Mukarati the man in possession for the try bonus point. Hearn slotted the conversion, final score 23-35.

Coach Mike Umaga commented ‘They weren’t the best of conditions but I liked the way we stuck at it today, keeping our composure under pressure to first secure the win and then create and seize the bonus point opportunity. This is a very tough place to come, plenty of sides will travel here and be knocked over, so I’m particularly pleased we were able to secure the 5 points’.