Round 6 saw Saints playing Dronfield Rugby club for the first time as the Derbyshire team joined the league after winning region 2 Midlands North last season. Saints injury problems continue with a couple of players getting knocks last week at Leek it was good to see Jon Bonner return from injury albeit on the bench.
A bright clear day greeted the visitors and with a perfect playing surface Dronfield were looking like a very handy side, and only stout and sometime scrambling defence was stopping the onslaught. With pressure constant it was only a matter of time before the defence conceded a penalty, which was duly kicked and left the score 0-3 to Dronfield.
From the restart pressure again came from Dronfield, and with another penalty on the 29th minute Saints found themselves 0-6 down and yet to make a foray in the Dronfield half of the pitch. Saints started to find some ball with Crowe and Whittaker making hard yards up the pitch and it was the turn of Dronfield to practice their defence, with Oscar Crowe going just short before Holmes drove over in the corner unfortunately not converted by Smith but cutting the deficit to 5-6.
With the restart secured Saints started to move the ball around with Ben Jones finding Dan Woods on the 22 from where produced the try of the match with a mazy weaving run, before spotting a gap to accelerate through the defending players, frantic defence saw him ankle tapped 5m out but momentum took him over beside the sticks to make Smiths conversion easy 12-6.
Again, from the restart an infringement for offside was kicked by the Dronfield kicker, who was very competent and struck the ball well, to again keep Dronfield in touch 12-9 at half time.
The restart for the second half mirrored the first half with a penalty just inside Saints half the kicker confidently slotted the ball between the uprights, only to do the same thing two minutes later giving Dronfield the lead 12-15, the penalty count did seem a little one sided with Dronfield shouting for everything and seeming to get it. Saints now started to get themselves in gear, with the forwards making good yardage, linking up with Cole slipped the ball inside and Baily Smith went over, unfortunately not converting but regaining the lead 17-15.
On a positive note, three visits to the 22 resulted in three tries, Saints now made a couple of subs with Byrne, Bowden, and the returning Bonner into the fray. The momentum of the game was now with Saints and pressure from Gregory, and the Crowe brothers saw Dronfield spill the ball on the 10m line out where Byrne gleefully picked it up before powering over the line much to the dismay of the defenders 24-15.
With Saints putting on so much pressure it was only a matter of time before Dronfield failed to stop the onslaught of the pack and when Whittaker received the ball 3m out there was no stopping him again Smith converting for a 31-15 lead, followed by some slick handling after Byrne picked up a loose ball passing it onto a rampaging Gregory who with deft hands slipped the ball to Sanders to go over, conversion missed but a 36-15 lead with 10 minutes to go.
Final score of the game went to Oscar Crowe who bashed his way through the tired defenders to score beside the post, converted for a final score of 43-15. Not the best performance first half but a very solid second half, with no tries conceded in either half. Next Saturday it is away to Stockport.