Otley Saracens 72, Stockton 8

ORIGINAL opponents Manchester cancelled so Saracens arranged a fixture with Stockton and there was little in it in the opening quarter.

Kris Kendra suffered an early rib in-jury and was replaced by Stewart Wilson.

The visitors took the lead with a drop goal but when they tried a long pass in their own half the ball went loose and Sam Gardner gathered to stroll over, James Henry converting.

Saracens' pack were beginning to settle and Stewart Wilson made a blind side break to put Leroy Rivett over for Henry to convert.

Otley were running everything now and Mark Coultas broke in open play and Sam Gardner supported well for another converted try.

The Stockton No 7, who was playing well, was sent to the sin bin for foul play and in the next attack Ben Steel squeezed in at the corner.

Saracens were producing exciting handling to entertain a large crowd and a slick move was finished by Leroy Rivett, who sent the full back the wrong way to race over and make it 31-3 at half-time.

On the re-start Alistair Monks made a fine run from deep to put Rivett away and he left a string of covering players in his wake to cross wide out. He scored again shortly after following good work by Matthew Wright and James Tiffany for James Henry to convert.

Sam Gardner was having a lively game and he came on the angle to slice through on half-way to race over.

Ben Steel came off to be replaced by Duncan Sayers, who was having a fitness test after a bad leg infection.

Saracens produced a turnover in their own half and quick re-cyling across the ball got Leon Clarke away and he made ground before passing the ball inside to Alistair Monks who raced over for James Henry to convert.

In the next passage of play Clarke made ground from his own half and this time he found Sam Gardner on his inside who took his pass and cut inside to the posts, James Henry converting.

Both sides were feeling the effects of the hectic pace but the crowd wanted more and the biggest roar came when second row Martin Keeler side-stepped the Stockton tackler before selling a dummy and putting prop Chris Birchall over in the corner.

James Henry, who had kept his backs moving all afternoon, got into the act himself with a superb individual try from his own half. Stockton never gave up and were justly rewarded with a try in the last minute when they won a line-out on the Otley five-metre mark to drive over.

This was a great team effort with superb finishing.

Leroy Rivett was asked by one of the young players whether his four tries rivalled his Wembley four and he replied with tongue in cheek 'that his Cross Green four were the pinnacle of his career'.