Birmingham & Solihull 7,Otley 21

OTLEY felt that they had done themselves less than justice when gifting Birmingham a 30-23 win in October at Cross Green and were fully up for this away game.

They had everyone but Phil Greaves, carrying a rib injury from last week, available with prop Dennis Hazelton back in action and Simon Binns coming through a late fitness test to make a huge impact on the game.

There was a stiff breeze blowing down this most inhospitable ground which has no cover or seating. Otley were to have first benefit which they used admirably, setting up an 18-7 lead at half-time.

It is a heavy ground which suits the big home pack but Otley's forwards are in good form at the moment and were able to contain their opponents and create problems themselves whilst the defensive cover of the team was excellent, even Otley's nemesis, winger Nick Baxter, was held at bay.

The lead was established after eight minutes when full-back Ian Shuttleworth came into the line to make the extra man.

He put winger Will Darby away, shadowing him to take a return pass and go over, finding that he had to take the conversion because Binns was receiving treatment but it proved no problem.

The fly-half was soon called upon, however, when Birmingham collapsed a scrum and he struck the penalty, adding a second when a break through the middle by Neil Law had the home defence in a panic and encroaching off-side.

The only home score came when full-back Leigh Hinton came up outside his winger to make the extra man.

He crossed in the corner from where fly-half Steve Perry struck a fine conversion but Otley hit back two minutes into added time when Binns shimmied through a stretched defence in the home 22 and from ten metres out stabbed the ball through to the line and won the race to touch down, to give himself a simple conversion.

Turning into the wind Otley were expecting a hard battle but such was their overall supremacy that it never materialised, in fact the only second- half score was another penalty from Binns which demonstrated that Otley deserve to be in the top half of the League again.

Saracens 28, Kendal 0

KENDAL belied their lowly league standing with a typical Cumbrian approach which they maintained throughout the game but the only time they seriously threatened the home line was during the time when Mark Nixon was in the sin bin.

Saracens' experience and speed was too much for them and it was a case of butterfingers at critical moments which restricted the score to just two tries each half. A strong pack with Gareth Manuel and skipper Steve Hudson, hands good as ever, ensuring precise line-out possession.

Half-backs Stuart Wilson and Philip Howell made sure their three-quarters were kept interested with excellent distribution, Howell mixed his game excellently with accurate positional kicking in addition to converting each try.

It was 25 minutes before Saracens struck, sub Matt Wright with his first touch of the ball crashing through to finish an assault on the Kendal line.

On 32 minutes, following a fine rolling maul, a classic dummy by centre Adam Thornton gave him a clear run to the posts.

Mike Gillson was called into action soon after the break and, like Wright before him, broke from a maul to score and after 53 minutes full back Alistair Monks came up to take a pass 40 metres out and outpace the defence to score.