They delivered a defensive performance of epic proportion, smothering the life out of a misfiring Mowden Park outfit that had put six tries past them in a rout back in November. A bumper crowd bathed in spring sunshine enjoyed an uncompromising, full-on contest in which DMP’s dangerous threequarters always looked capable of scoring, but saw the chances they had snuffed out by the sheer bloody-minded defensive ethic of a home team that wanted it just that bit more.

A mistake at the kickoff put the Saxons under immediate pressure but a loose Mowden Park pass drifted into touch and the hosts advanced downfield. A chip through by fly half Sam Robinson produced an attacking 5m scrum at which the Saxons pack dug deep to drive their opponents backwards, no.8 Chris Depper bagging a pushover try at the base.

A high tackle drew a penalty deep in DMP’s half that fly half Zylon McGaffin tapped and ran, making 50m but crucially failing to spot an unmarked support runner. Nathan Bressington hauled him down near the Saxons’ 22 and the threat passed as Tom Jarvis won a vital penalty for holding on in the tackle.

With the Saxons pack enjoying the best of early exchanges in scrum & lineout the visitors were struggling to set up any foothold in the opposition half, big carries by Ben Barkley and Nigel Mukarati providing the hosts plenty of front foot ball. They sniffed an opportunity for another pushover try but the ball squirted loose to McGaffin who broke down the touchline, the attack only snuffed out by Barkley & Jamie Hearn busting a lung to cover back.

A maul collapse earned DMP’s hooker Ross Doneghan a spell in the sinbin, the Saxons opted for an attacking scrum but DMP’s replacement tighthead Henry Sandys made an immediate impact when the hosts were penalised for standing up under pressure. Hearn slotted a straightforward shot on goal from the Saxons next visit to DMP’s 22 though, and the half ended at 8-0 with the hosts again on the attack but unable to turn pressure into further points.

DMP’s first attack of the 2nd half got held up in a maul, the Saxons then working Jarvis free but he was held up just short and desperate DMP defending prevented Mukarati grounding the ball despite having crossed the tryline. A strike against the head relieved the pressure though and DMP would have scored a spectacular breakaway had a speculative Jarvis pass in the backfield not been knocked on in the interception attempt.

The next Saxons attack drew another maul collapse & yellow card for DMP lock Talite Vaioleti. But DMP held out and with tempers starting to fray numbers were levelled as lock Ben Hughes also got a 10min break for a deliberate knock-on. DMP sensed their opportunity, set siege to the Saxons line and despite being repelled several times were eventually rewarded when McGaffin forced his way over to cut the lead to just 3 points.

Back came the Saxons and an offside call gave Hearn an easy penalty shot from 25m out. With fatigue-induced errors causing play patterns to break down the game ebbed and flowed and it took a chargedown from the returning Hughes to secure a Saxons attacking platform which generated a further 3 points when a dangerous tackle on sub Dale Garner was penalised in front of the DMP posts.

DMP were gifted a penalty in the Saxons’ midfield from a no-arms tackle but a nervous kick for touch went dead, the relieved Saxons opting to sit on their 2-score lead driving kicks deep into DMP territory and inviting them to run the ball from deep. Desperate last-ditch defending held the visitors at bay until the final whistle heralded a famous victory.