Anselmians welcomed De La Salle to Rivacre Road for only their fourth meeting. Anselmian had lost narrowly at Lancaster Road, 16-13, and were determined to display their free scoring form of recent matches.

On a crisp and cold afternoon, “Della” started the livelier of the two sides, relying on a big pack which sought to dominate the home eight. Enforced changes and the injury to flanker Ewan Nolan did not help the home side’s cause. Early sides of De La Salle dominance were the right winger plunging over the white line believing he’d scored, only for the exchange referee to award home scrum because the rugby lines were red. Nevertheless, Saints conceded when sharp blindside passing created a gap for prop Luke McCormick to score and, with scrum half Ben Wheeler converting, Della led 7-0 after ten minutes.

Saints responded within minutes when Liam McGovern converted a penalty, but their pack was being dominated by the dominant visitors. Anselmian supporters were grateful when McGovern kicked a magnificent penalty to reduce the deficit to one point on twenty-five minutes, but, in truth, Anselmians did not deserve to be so close. An intricate move by De La Salle was punished with another penalty.

Neat interplay between centres Otutaha and new boy James Preston gave Anselmians brief hope but, in injury time, De La Salle increased their lead when standoff Jay Boyd was quick enough to burst through weak Anselmian tackling to score the visitors’ second try. Again, Wheeler converted from the touchline and, instead of turning around one point down, Saints deserved to be losing 6-14 on the balance of play.

In the dying seconds, second row Niall Cavanagh was sin-binned for an illegal tackle to compound Saints’ misery. At Bolton the previous week, Saints had been efficient in the first half but profligate in the second. Supporters at half-time gave Saints little chance of maintaining their unbeaten home record.

De La Salle extended their lead with a long-distance kick by Wheeler within five minutes of the restart and, when Wheeler was offered an easier kick, home supporters feared it was not Anselmians’ day. Wheeler missed the simple kick, but made amends when Saints were penalised just before the hour to extend the away side’s lead to 6-20. There was no lack of determination in Anselmians’ approach and, but for the solid defence of James Otutaha, they were simply being outplayed.

Anselmians then woke up and Della obliged by conceding a series of penalties. Sadler, at scrumhalf, was desperately trying to initiate counter attacks but was hindered by the referee’s insistence on making notes. Steve Brooks, the Anselmian prop, crossed the line but was held up, but this inspired an Anselmian revival for the last twenty minutes. A promising move from yet another penalty conceded by De La Salle saw first Scott Southwell, then Otutaha, go close before veteran Kellum Friday crashed over. A fine conversion by McGovern meant that, with ten minutes remaining, Saints were within one score of levelling the contest.

De La Salle kept conceding penalties and, from another set piece, relentless waves of Anselmian attacks were repulsed by defiance by the visitors until Saints managed to slip the ball to winger, Adam Bramhall, who crossed on the right. Unfortunately, McGovern’s conversion missed and, approaching stoppage time, Anselmians trailed by two points.

De La Salle survived the last five fraught minutes to emerge victors and Anselmians will rue their anaemic first half and their lost unbeaten home record. The losing bonus point can be scant consolation.