By contrast the second-half performance was error-strewn and at times indisciplined, the Saxons put pressure on themselves and ending up simply defending their lead against dogged opponents who scrapped all the way.

Ben Hughes got his first start of the season, Chris Depper coming onto the bench. Baker started on the right wing with Will Harris on the bench and Stewart Pearl taking the captaincy duties.

Caldy kicked off defending the South East end, drawing some early aerial exchanges. The Saxons backs advanced too early at a lineout and shipped a penalty that was converted by a monster kick from Caldy outside half Rich Vasey. 2min 3-0 and the first occasion the Saxons have trailed in this league campaign. A further lineout misdemeanour followed but this time it was Caldy’s 2nd row aiming a blow at Ben Hughes and drawing a flag from the assistant referee (AR). A lecture and penalty award followed, it was kickable but the Saxons chose to throw the gauntlet down early and kicked for the corner but it stalled from a knock-on then a scrum penalty. Caldy looked to run it quickly but got held up so kicked infield where Will Hurrell ran it straight back at them. From a ruck the same Caldy 2nd row put in a high tackle on Pearl so got invited to take a 10min rest as Caolan Ryan slotted the penalty from just outside the 22. 7min 3-3.

The restart was hoofed back into the Caldy half where a good chase held up the counter. A big Saxons scrum drive against Caldy’s 7-man pack forced a turnover, the Saxons reaching the Caldy 22 before being driven into touch. The clearance kick found touch about 30m from the tryline, drawing a trademark Saxons long range catch & drive. Caldy couldn’t keep it out as it marched inexorably on and it was Harper who emerged with the ball to a fanfare of vuvuzelas. 14min 3-8.

Caldy then clawed back 3 points as a Saxons tackler got penalised in front of his posts, Vasey converted. 18min 6-8. The Saxons secured possession at the restart though, feeding the ball to the centres who managed to drive it deep into Caldy’s 22 before winning a scrum at an unplayable. On came the Saxons shove, up went the Caldy hooker but there was no advantage so the Saxons opted to scrum again. With referee Andrew Rawson’s arm out for another advantage the Saxons managed to drive over the next scrum though, Harper again the grateful chariot driver. Ryan’s kick rebounded off the upright. 21min 6-13.

A Saxons offside gifted another long range opportunity to Vasey but he pushed it just to the right. Caldy’s lineout got disrupted though and a perfectly weighed Ryan clearance kick and chase forced an attacking 5m scrum. The Saxons control at the base let them down but Caldy engaged early at the next scrum enabling Harper to tap & go, securing a penalty for an offside just short of the line. The Saxons opted to scrum and drove, up and away from his hooker came the Caldy loosehead but Mr Rawson chose to penalise his opposing tighthead Mark George.

An infield kick from Caldy’s scrum half was secured and worked quickly to Ryan on the right who linked with his centres, Hurrell straightening the attack up before feeding the ball to Baker on the 22. Sam blasted through his opposite number and had just enough momentum to ground the ball over the line despite the attention of 2 cover defenders. A nicely worked try that Ryan converted. 35min 6-20.

Hughes secured a deep restart and territorial kicks were traded before Hearn opted to run from deep. This drew an offside infringement from Caldy that was kickable but the Saxons again went for the corner, Ryan’s perfectly weighted kick floating into touch at the 5m mark. The catch & drive was held up but the Saxons secured a scrum feed and drove Caldy back once again. Mr Rawson was playing advantage for Caldy’s hooker standing up when Harper drove from short range and scored his hat-trick try that also secured the bonus point. Half-time 6-25.

The Saxons opted to kick an early 2nd half penalty to the corner but Ryan’s kick only made in-goal and conceded a scrum back, Caldy then launching a counter from which they kicked deep. Baker ran back the counter and drew a penalty for the tackler not rolling away, Tu’ipolotu running it quickly finding Hurrell on his shoulder who was brought down in the Caldy 22. Quick ball was needed but Roy-Smith found Caldy’s left wing lying all over the ball and opted unwisely to take matters into his own hands and drew a lecture and penalty reversal.

Play went scrappy for a while, Caldy countering a kick and managing a clean line break, the situation recovered by a lovely piece of defensive work by James Rodley who forced a penalty from the isolated attacker. But the Saxons conceded a free kick at the lineout which Caldy tapped and ran, driving into the Saxons midfield before a defender was penalised for not rolling away. With a 19 point deficit to recover Caldy opted to go for the corner but turned the ball over as the Saxons defence held steady.

On 54min Harris made his Saxons debut replacing Hurrell, with Jarvis moving to centre and Baker to fullback where shortly after he blotted his copybook by holding on in the tackle as he ran back a Caldy kick. Caldy again kicked to the Saxons 22 and launched a backs move with their right wing Ben Eaves coming across to the left at pace where he managed to outgas the realigned Saxons defensive line for a try that Vasey converted. 58min 13-25 and Ben Hughes rallying of the troops in the in goal was audible fully 60m away.

Caldy conceded a scrum from the restart that the Saxons pack drove right through at pace. Caldy’s 6 took a dislike to Nick Adams search for something to bind to (in the complete absence of his opposite number) and threw a couple of blows that drew a flag from the AR who must have seen more than me and recommended yellow cards for both. The Saxons were awarded the penalty but their catch & drive misfired so back came George for the scrum with Mukarati sacrificed. Good work by Rodley & Harper forced a penalty from the Caldy no.8 trying to drive off a backpedalling scrum enabling Ryan’s penalty kick to stretch the lead to a more comfortable 3 scores. 66min 13-28.

Caldy’s next attack foundered when their replacement hooker overthrew the lineout, Mark George gathering and punting downfield. Caldy’s counter was forced into touch but one sensed the spaces were opening up with both teams were upping the tempo. A Harper clean linebreak created a gilt edged opportunity to kill the game off but Jarvis failed to gather his pass, forcing the Saxons back into defence as Caldy countered from deep. Rodley drew a lecture from the referee for some ‘afters’ at a tackle where he was penalised for not rolling away, Caldy opting to line kick from which they moved the ball right but ended up static in the face of solid Saxons defence. Something happened at a post-tackle that drew an AR flag and a long blast on Mr Rawson’s whistle, and Rodley was shown a red card for punching.

With a man advantage Caldy went for the corner and span the ball wide left where Harris and Baker produced some great last ditch tackling to just about hold Caldy’s backs out. Pete White somehow got under the ball as Caldy’s 2nd row drove over and was then able to run the clock down and kick the ball clear after their no.8 turned it over at the base of the scrum. Full time 13-28.

Commenting on the performance coach Mike Umaga observed : “That’s another 5 points secured on the road, it wasn’t pretty but job done we’ll take it. Caldy is a tough place to come and get a result, there are others to follow where it will be harder still, today’s experience will banish any illusions that all we have to do is just turn up in order to win. We’re more than happy to leave here with 5 points.”