In securing their 17th straight bonus point win they retaining their perfect playing record and 19 league point cushion. Huddersfield had no answer to their power and pace and resorted to a spoiling, damage-limitation game, barely threatening the Saxons line even at the brief stage it was defended by just 12 men.

Adam Sturdy’s 200th appearance was marked by a guard of honour as he led the side out to a standing ovation from the crowd of 500 souls. The Saxons received the kick off defending the southern end first up.

Huddersfield’s kick off went straight into touch, the Saxons opted for a scrum back and a big shove drew a penalty as the Huddersfield loosehead broke his bind. They kicked to the 22 where a Ben Hughes catch set up a driving maul that reached the 5m line before Pete White was told to use the ball, it was knocked on in the tackle and Huddersfield cleared their lines. Back came the Saxons in attack, this time drawing a penalty for a tackle offence just outside the 22 but Jamie Hearn pulled his goalkick attempt wide. The next Saxons drive stalled when James Rodley got isolated in the tackle, Huddersfield cleared but back came the Saxons with a long Tu’ipolotu kick finding touch deep in the Huddersfield 22. The clearance failed to find touch, enabling the Saxons back 3 to shift the angle of attack to wide right where Nathan Bressington made 30m before Jamie Hearn got bundled into touch just 5m out. From the clearance Stewart Pearl’s lineout throw found Ben Hughes unmarked but he was tackled just short of the tryline. Mark George got held up over the line to secure a 5m scrum at which he turned the heat up on his opponent, the Saxons opted to scrum from the first penalty, but as Huddersfield’s loosehead folded in a 2nd time Mr Cooper had had enough and went under the posts for a penalty try, Hearn converting. 11min 7-0.

The restart was returned infield where a good chase by Gary Dipple secured the ball. Tu’ipolotu, Hearn and White then pinned Huddersfield back into the corners of their 22 with kicks from hand. Huddersfield’s first attack of substance was worked right off a scrum but stopped by a big Hearn tackle, Huddersfield’s scrum half then getting a penalty reversed for persistent chatter. A big driving maul off a lineout reached the Huddersfield 22 where it was moved right, Stefan Cooksammy coming across off his wing to put White clean through but the pass was adjudged forward. Huddersfield attempted to clear their lines from a penalty for hands in the ruck but missed touch and were immediately back under pressure, Stewart Pearl breaking clean through the defensive line but Drew Harper was just unable to hold on to a pass that looked to have put him clear down the middle. After a brief sojourn into the Saxons’ 22 Huddersfield were back under pressure, again opting to put clearance kicks infield and inviting the Saxons’ back 3 to run at them. Following an unplayable call the Saxons conceded a free kick for an early scrum engage that Huddersfield tried to run from deep in their own half, but disaster struck when a pass was spilled straight into the hands of the grateful Harper who spotted a gap and outpaced the defenders to score a record-equalling 19th try of the season. Hearn converted, 29min 14-0.

Huddersfield attacked wide down the right side again following another midfield scrum, this time the move was snuffed out by a good White cover tackle and penalty for hanging on secured by Will Hurrell. The kick found touch just outside Huddersfield’s 22, where quick off-the-top ball was moved wide right then recycled left where a Tu’ipolotu cut out pass found George with support to his left. He shipped it to Hughes who was brought down just short but got away an offload that Pearl did well to gather in the act of falling over the tryline. The conversion attempt went wide, 34min 19-0.

The Saxons mauled the restart kick 30m downfield, sucking in the defenders before moving the ball left then right in attack. With a defender straying offside White took a quick tap and darted through a gap before wrongfooting the fullback for a stroll over the line, unfortunately though an AR had seen an off the ball tussle at a previous breakdown and the penalty award went against Hearn, so the score was struck off. Rich Stott stole the subsequent lineout throw though and with the ball punted deep into their in-goal Huddersfield were content to kick the ball out for the halftime interval, 40min 19-0.

An early 2nd half clearance kick from Huddersfield found Hearn on the right touchline who shifted it wide left for Cooksammy to break down the left. The ball was recycled quickly right but spotting support to his left Will Hurrell changed the angle of attack and found a mismatch in the close defence, he sold an outrageous dummy to break through the line, drew the cover and fed Nigel Mukarati who was hauled down just short but managed to get the pass away for James Rodley to score. Hearn converted, 42min 26-0.

With Huddersfield transgressing again at the tackle the Saxons set up another attacking platform with a lineout in their 22 from which 2 driving mauls were stopped illegally. Huddersfield countered the next drive effectively though and had secured a turnover before conceding a soft penalty for going off their feet at the tackle. The Saxons opted to scrum and secured a further penalty as Huddersfield’s loosehead again folded in under pressure. The Saxons opted to scrum again and moved the ball right where Bressington crossed the tryline in the corner only to be called back for a forward pass in the build up. Huddersfield were unable to lift the siege however, their clearance kicks run back at them at every opportunity but their defences just about holding. Eventually scrum ball was moved right to replacement outside half Caolan Ryan who dummied right before feeding an inside pass to Will Hurrell who straightened the angle of attack to break a cover tackle and score under the posts, Ryan converting. 53min 33-0.

The restart was run left then right where a Ryan cutout pass found George with support to his right. He put Bressington into space to chip ahead and secure an attacking lineout deep in the Huddersfield 22. The ball went through a couple of phases before Ryan switched direction and sailed through a huge gap in the defensive line only to be pulled back for an off the ball obstruction on a defender. Moments later a switch pass from Will Hurrell put Cooksammy clean through but it was adjudged forward and another opportunity went begging. The next Saxons attack went through multiple phases before a Huddersfield replacement killed the moved stone dead by lying on the wrong side. The attack stalled though allowing Huddersfield to launch probably their best phase of play, recycling patiently & probing the Saxons defence until finally putting a long kick into touch in the Saxons 22. A knock on in the lineout gave them a 5m scrum platform but the ball went loose in a backs move and was hacked all the way to the Huddersfield 22 by Bressington. Back they came though, drawing a penalty for side entry which they ran quickly and drew a penalty and yellow card against Will Harris for a deliberate knock-on. With the defensive penalty count standing at 3-12 it was distinctly ironic that the first card went against the Saxons. Worse was to follow immediately though when Huddersfield moved the ball left from a lineout and their winger chipped Hearn. There was a collision after the ball was kicked, out came the AR’s flag and Jamie also copped a yellow card, leaving just 12 Saxons defenders on the pitch as Cooksammy was receiving physio attention on the sidelines. Huddersfield somewhat optimistically opted for a 5m scrum but were unceremoniously shunted backwards by the Saxons’ pack and conceded a penalty that Ryan kicked clear to touch. The inevitable Saxons rolling maul advanced 20m before being halted illegally, drawing a penalty but still no card. The exercise was repeated, the maul this time pulled down by the Huddersfield captain who this time saw yellow. Ryan kicked to the corner and the Saxons tried to drive another maul but the short defence was solid, repelling a series of drives until a Saxons handling error gifted a turnover. Play reached the Saxons half before a final Huddersfield penalty – their 19th – was conceded for an isolated ball carrier holding on in the tackle. With the clock ticking down Ryan found touch from which the Saxons launched a series of drives that were rounded off by Hughes crashing over from short range. Ryan converted, the final whistle went, full time 40-0.

Coach Mike Umaga commented : ‘Huddersfield have two highly competent coaches with Premiership experience so we knew we would be up against a well-organised defence today, they played a spoiling-type game that we struggled to adapt to at times. We need to learn from that and combat it better in future, while we looked a bit rusty at times I’ll happily take a 40 point win and I’m particularly pleased to have shut them out. The players have come back from the short break with a positive mindset, we now need to work on delivering the goals we’ve set ourselves for the rest of the season’.