Otley 29 Bromsgrove 17: Otley make light of lack of numbers but the rest of the county quartet are left frustrated

With six squad members unavailable Otley performed magnificently to win in style.

Bromsgrove were a confident, strong running side, looking dangerous from the start but the home defence was tremendous, leaking just one late try and forcing errors which cost the visitors a yellow card in each half.

Otley ran up 19 points in the first-half, centre Jack Mackie in at the corner for fly-half Mark Ireland to convert then, from a five-metre scrum the ball went quickly to winger James Wood who skated over.

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An underhand pass from the irrepressible No 8 Dan Temm at a scrum set the backs in motion, No 7 Jack Scott Paul on hand to score, Ireland converting.

Richard Mahoney opened Bromsgrove’s account with a penalty but Ireland cancelled that out minutes after the break. Mahoney added a brace of penalties but a try from full-back Arnie Ellison gained the bonus point, Ireland converting from the touchline.

Bromsgrove managed a try from Ollie Bache and a late penalty but Otley were superior.

Hull suffered a nail-biting 29-27 defeat at Luctonians, conceding a late try in the 15th minute of added time.

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Officials and supporters from both sides were bemused by the amount of added time the referee allowed in a match which was nip and tuck throughout and saw the lead change hands five times.

Ben Dorrington put Hull into the lead with a try from a catch and drive at a lineout, but Luctonians hit back when centre John Morris touched down and winger Alex Rumsey converted. And the hosts extended their lead to 14-5 with former Doncaster winger Jimmy Norris scoring, Rumsey converting.

However, Hull battled back well, first stand-off James Cameron kicking a penalty then Dorrington scoring again from another catch and drive to close to within one point at 14-13. And when they were awarded a penalty try Cameron’s conversion put the East Yorkshire side six points ahead at the break.

Luctonians closed to within one point with Norris scoring again, but it wasn’t until the 77th minute that they finally retook the lead with Morris kicking a penalty to make it 22-20.

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In the 80th minute winger Jamie Clark touched down in the corner for Hull and Cameron converted to put Hull within sight, but a 95th-minute try from Luctonians’ lock Tom Dines, converted by Morris, snatched victory.

Sheffield Tigers suffered a bruising 16-3 home defeat to Preston Grasshoppers as they were outplayed at Abbeydale.

The Lancashire side were stronger up front while their backs looked sharper with the ball. Tigers struggled for possession in the first half, and when they did manage to secure more ball after the break they couldn’t do anything with it.

Stand-off Lewis Allen was on target with penalties on 21 and 27 minute for the visitors, and after half-time he converted a 44th-minute try from flanker Killian Wallace before adding a third penalty to put Grasshoppers 16-0 ahead. Centre Will Carrington kicked a penalty for Tigers, but it was no more than a consolation.

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Newly-promoted Harrogate suffered a 24-7 reverse at promotion favourites Stourbridge. The hosts demonstrated their power by running up 24 points in the first half from four tries and two conversions but, following a wholesale replacement of five players soon after half-time, Harrogate stepped up to match Stourbridge and scored the only points of the second half.

The new boys acquitted themselves well with the Minikin brothers and Barry Frost showing their potential for Harrogate but all over the pitch the tackling was more ferocious than ‘Gate had been used to last season.

Phil Wickham settled into the higher standard of rugby straight away and performed brilliantly around the scrum.

Stourbridge’s greater physicality in all areas allowed their backs to create overlaps which led to three of their tries from Farrington, Shillingford and Bressington with the forwards creating the fourth try for Uzoigwe. A yellow card for hooker Aarin Yorke reduced Harrogate to 14 men with six minutes of the half remaining.

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With five replacements made early in the second half Harrogate showed that they are more than ready to compete in this league.

Stourbridge ran out of ideas and Wickham showed the way. Eventually, replacement fly-half Callum Irvine broke through the tiring Stourbridge tacklers just inside their half and outstripped the defence for a well-deserved try which he converted himself.