With nothing less than a ‘W’ also essential for Neil Mitchell’s charges the game had long been identified as season-defining for the Saxons’ own promotion aspirations.

With elements of the press only too keen to pen the ‘big game chokers’ storyline, the Saxons chose Saturday to exorcise the ghosts of the narrow last-minute reversals they suffered in 2013’s crunch matches. Their opponents simply had no answer to the pace, power and commitment the Saxons unleashed on them, suffering their first failure in six seasons to record a home try. In five of those seasons they had played at a higher league level.

The Saxons’ lineup showed few changes to the encounter with Sheffield Tigers, Robbie Hurrell returning from injury to captain the side from the 2nd row while Nathan Bressington reclaimed his right wing berth. The bench was 4:1 forward-oriented with Drew Harper returning and just Gary Dipple providing backline cover.

The visitors kicked off into a stiff breeze, hitting the ground running by taking an early scrum against the head and forcing the hosts back with direct drives from Nigel Mukarati & Ben Hughes. A Hurrell lineout steal preceded an ominous driving maul from which Pete White pinned the hosts deep into their 22, their counter stalled and they conceded the first try when flanker Eji Uzoigwe scored at the tail of a lineout catch & drive.

A fluffed restart handed the initiative straight back to the Saxons but a carelessly conceded penalty in the tackle area halted their next drive. But a missed touch gifted possession back again, the Saxons gratefully countering and prop Mark George forced his way over from short range after the ball went through several pairs of hands.

Another Saxons short range maul was held out this time, the hosts running the ball back at them but unable to get out of their own half and finding themselves defending their line again after conceding a scrum penalty. A midfield drive set up a goal line siege that they were only able to keep out illegally and a short range scrum option saw Uzoigwe crash over again. Barely a half hour gone and the hosts had been denied all but the sparsest of possession, rendering the wind advantage an irrelevance.

The hosts again tried to run the ball from the restart but uncompromising defence wouldn’t yield. Outside half Sam Robinson managed to intercept a speculative pass to launch a counter-attack, desperate defence killing the ball to earn a yellow card for fly half Collins. The ball was remorselessly kicked back into the corner and another fine Hurrell catch set up the bonus point 4th try as hooker Scott Wright was driven over.

The hosts finally got to string some phases together but an overcooked box kick killed the attack. By the time Hughes was caught offside near halfway the clock had gone past 40min forcing a monster 55m penalty goal attempt that centre Riley landed to finally put the hosts on the scoreboard. Halftime 3-24.

Hughes was replaced by Drew Harper during the interval, Chris Depper moving up from no.8 to 2nd row. Unwilling to be equally profligate with the wind advantage Robinson hoofed the restart back deep into Tigers’ territory but a handling error gifted possession back to the hosts. Their attempted counter ended with a disastrously aimless cross field kick that found winger Nathan Bressington who gleefully chipped the advancing defence and won the footrace to gather the bouncing ball and score.

The restart was again run straight back at the hosts, winger Jamie Hearn attempting a chip and chase of his own but thwarted by an illegal block that earned home fullback Wainwright 10min in the sin bin. Following another catch & drive for the line Harper gathered the ball at the base and demonstrated great strength to power through the fringe defences.

A training ground restart play enabled the hosts to recover possession and finally string a set of phases together as the rain started to lash down. A penalty conceded in the tackle was run at the Saxons defences but a fumbled pass enabled White to relieve the pressure by belting the ball downfield. With a further set of home drives held out by an uncompromising defence a steady trickle of tactical substitutions started to disrupt the continuity the hosts desperately sought. The Saxons were content to sit on their lead, kicking possession downwind inviting the hosts to run at them and force passes in deteriorating conditions.

The introduction of Adam Sturdy at loosehead gave the Saxons’ scrum a distinct advantage, a steady flow of penalties ensuing that were used to pin the hosts back in their own half. White stole possession at the base of a retreating Sedgley Park scrum, hacking the ball deep into the hosts’ 22 from where it was recovered and moved right, Bressington just forced into touch as he tried to ground the ball in the corner. The hosts failed to clear their lines though and conceded a penalty try as a scrum advancing on their goal line was dragged down.

The Saxons closed the game out by kicking deep and inviting the hosts to probe their disciplined defences With Hearn having bagged 5 from 7 conversions the final score was 3-45.

Delighted DoR Neil Mitchell said: “It was an extremely impressive victory. It was brutal and the atmosphere in the dressing room was gladiatorial. The pain of last year is kicking in, this is the business end of the season and there is a real ferocity and desire about this team. The back row was immense and the statement by the 20 players demonstrates the potential we knew they had. The attitude of the players was like a home cup final, I havn’t seen this sort of collective desire to get the job done for a long time”.