Excellent Saxons’ commitment, structure and discipline in defence were key to victory, but a dogged Chester proved difficult to break down and though taking a 14-0 lead into the interval the Saxons were denied several 2nd half scoring opportunities in controversial circumstances.

The groundstaff worked miracles to get the game on in the first place but could do little with a heavy surface that obliged both teams to play an attritional forward-oriented style where ball-retention was at a premium, particularly for the team playing into the wind.

The Saxons enjoyed the wind advantage first half, quickly working an attacking platform when Pete White’s neat chip into the corner enabled his pursuing teammates to bundle the cover defender into touch. Ben Hughes’ lineout take set up a driving maul that Chester were unable to repel, tighthead Mike Hill at the base bagging his first try in Saxons’ colours. Jamie Hearn’s successful conversion added the extra 2 points.

A fumbled restart catch allowed Chester to test the Saxons’ defences, but despite a series of drives they were unable to threaten the 22 and eventually hooker Scott Wright redeemed his earlier mistake and secured a turnover that was hoofed downwind by outside half Sam Robinson. Poor discipline by the visitors conceded 2 penalties that were kicked into the 22, Robbie Hurrell’s lineout catch set up another driving maul but this time Chester were able to hold it out, eventually conceding a penalty at the scrum but Hearn’s attempt on goal flew wide.

White returned the 22 dropout back into the corner where Hearn’s neat footwork created an opportunity for Robinson who couldn’t find a way through the defenders. The ball was worked right into space though where it found loosehead Mark George who barged his way over the line from short range, Hearn again adding the extras.

Chester’s drive set from the restart was forced backwards, the Saxons burning an attacking opportunity by coughing up a turnover and eventually pushed back as a defender strayed offside. The rain started to fall, the wind gusted and the surface started to cut up, making handling difficult as passes were blown off course and runners struggled for grip in the muddier midfield areas of the pitch. Chester persisted with a ball in hand game, running the clock down but never threatening to enter the Saxons 22 and were driven back by deep kicks on the occasions they coughed up the ball. The Saxons couldn’t build an attacking platform without continuity of possession though and when the halftime whistle came they realised they would have their work cut out defending a narrow lead into the 2nd half wind.

Both sides changed jerseys during the interval, proving some brief clarity for the hardy souls who had braved the weather. The Saxons ground out a few phases before catching their opponents unaware with a long Robinson cut-out pass that put Tom Jarvis through. He got deep into Chester territory but the Saxons’ didn’t get enough bodies to the breakdown and were turned back over, Chester finally just reaching the hosts’ 22 before the move stalled. Both sides’ next drives ended with turnovers in the tackle area, Chester ruing a lost opportunity deep in the Saxons 22. The counter trundled upfield where White spotted a gap in the fringe defence and hared off up the touchline, kicking the ball infield for the supporting Stef Shillingford who in turn hacked it into Chester’s in goal but appeared to be brought down by contact with a chasing defender. Both referee Marcus Caton and his assistant were well positioned and after a brief consultation ruled that no offence had been committed, much to the disappointment of the home supporters.

Chester continued to press, the Saxons again turning them over in the tackle while defending their 22 but Robinson’s attempted clearance kick was blown back by the wind and they had to defend an attacking 5m scrum. Though the penalty count had been low and evenly matched to this stage as the officials let the game flow, it now swung decisively in the Saxons’ favour as the next 7 calls went against their opponents, first up the visiting loosehead blowing the attacking opportunity by failing to bind correctly.

The Saxons drove grimly back upfield but their hard work was undone when the ball squirted out of the side of a ruck to be hoofed back, the alert Nathan Bressington covering the threat as the turnover caught his teammates out of position. Chester fluffed the lineout though and back came the dogged Saxons, White spotting another gap in the defences and regathering his own chip into Chester’s 22 where a retreating defender conceded a penalty for offside. With barely 10 minutes remaining the Saxons kicked for the corner and laid siege to the line, the backline flew in to add impetus to the advancing maul which was cynically pulled down just 4 metres short. It was clearly foul play that denied a probable tryscoring opportunity but Mr Caton opted not to punish it with a penalty try and was understandably unable to identify a perpetrator amongst the pile of bodies. The Saxons were forced to reload their attacking lineout, which this time was trundled over the line but Mr Caton ruled the ball held up so back they went for a 5m scrum. Numerous resets ate further into the clock and Chester ambushed the attack by getting a shove on, forcing the Saxons next lineout further back from their line. The maul stalled and a forward pass conceded possession at the scrum but the Saxons returned the compliment by driving their opponents off in turn. Chester walked the scrum round, conceding another penalty when the Saxons were unable to ground the ball cleanly, back it went into touch, but with time nearly up and their opponents having pushed their red zone luck to the limits the bonus point had slipped away. The ball went unplayable as the next maul went down and Chester were content to simply hoof it off the park and head for the respite of a warm shower.

Disappointed coach Mike Umaga commented ‘Hats off to the boys they played the conditions well, were positive throughout and again managed to keep a clean sheet. To be honest we feel robbed, Stef Shillingford had a clear tryscoring opportunity and was brought down, the defender was behind him and cannot have made a legal shoulder on shoulder contact. There were two occasions in that last 10min when it looked a cast iron penalty try but cynical offending went unsanctioned. We look to play positive rugby and expect the officials to deal with this stuff. It is hard to take’.

‘There were big contributions today from Eji Uzoigwe and Stef Shillingford, but man of the match was our workhorse and Mr Consistency himself, Nigel Mukarati’.