National League Two North: South Leicester 44 Otley 34

INJURIES meant that Declan Jackson came in from the Saracens to become the 31st player in Otley's first XV this season, and he scored a try to almost earn them two points from their National League Two North fixture at Welford Road.

The hosts went into the lead after just three minutes when an Otley clearance kick was collected, Corey Venus breaking through the visitors' defence for Adam Shaw to go over close to the posts, giving Rickie Aley an easy conversion.

South Leicester then knocked-on from the kick-off and, from the second reset scrum, the hosts went down 25 metres out, and Joe Rowntree put the ball between the posts.

On ten minutes, Otley took the lead when Tom Hodson took the ball out of his 22 to halfway, the visitors then combining before Mike Coady went over from ten metres in the right-hand corner.

Otley were immediately put under pressure, however, when they failed to gather the kick-off cleanly, and the ball was hacked through, scrum half Max Johnson being left with little option but to put the ball into touch.

A floated pass then put Myles Bean over in the opposite corner, with Aley again converting.

From a scrum on their ten-metre line, Coady broke through South’s defence, and the attack was only stopped when Jack Scott-Paul was high tackled.

The penalty was put into the corner, and Ben Steele emerged from the bottom of the maul, Rowntree’s conversion just going inside the posts to put Otley 15-14 ahead after 20 minutes.

The lead was short-lived though, the restart being knocked forward and hitting an Otley player, giving Aley another three points.

The hosts extended their lead when a crossfield kick into the corner was knocked back just inside the line to Venus, who had an unopposed run to the line.

The home side moved themselves further ahead with a converted try from Reece Harris and a penalty.

However, Otley’s dominance in the scrum was beginning to tell, and just before half-time they gained a penalty which was put into the left-hand corner, Brett Mitchell going over and Rowntree converted to make the score 34-22.

The third quarter was a war of attrition, with neither side being able to find a decisive move.

Otley had their chances and had the best of the territory, but at times were guilty of hanging onto the ball for too long.

The stalemate was broken when Otley were caught offside, with Aley adding three points.

Otley attacked again and were just outside South’s 22 when the hosts gave away a penalty.

Quick thinking by Rowntree led to him nearly crossing the line, and a cynical tackle on Simon Willett by Will Ward earned him a yellow card.

Otley chose a scrum and were nearly at a trot when the referee awarded them a penalty try.

South then put Otley under pressure and a misdirected clearance kick from within their 22 gave the impetus back to the hosts, a kick through the defence being followed by a pass by Aley to give Bean an easy run in for a converted try.

Jackson's debut try for Otley with six minutes to go as he sped down the left-hand touchline to put them within sight of a bonus point, but they could not find another three points to take that as well.