With both sides looking to continue unbeaten starts to the season, and with recent encounters being closely fought, this was always going to be another contest where there would be little between them.

This proved to be the case as the first half saw both sides miss penalty chances and try scoring opportunities to turn around at the break with a most unusual 0-0 score line. ON's had the better of the early exchanges and should have taken the lead when a relatively simple penalty chance was missed after concerted pressure on a the Blues line had seen all their efforts repelled.

The Blues struck back and had chances of their own to open the scoring, the best of which came when James Taylor followed up a Joe Daniel kick, won the contest for the ball and scampered over from 30 metres, only for the home touch judge to have spotted a toe on the line as he scurried down the wing. A couple of Daniel penalty attempts also drifted wide, whilst ON's squandered a great chance to score late on, and a pulsating half of rugby remained scoreless.

The Blues opened the scoring on 50 minutes, when Daniel converted a penalty, and at this point the Blues were on top. This was further extended with a 2nd Daniel penalty 5 minutes later, as the pressure grew on the visitors. Then came the decisive score as an ON's attack broke down and Joe Newman snapped up the loose ball, fed Taylor and the winger showed pace and strength to outstrip the visitors cover defence, hand off. The fullback and dive over in the corner to open up an 11 point lead for the Blues on 56 minutes. Daniel then kicked a third penalty to put the home side 14 points clear.

Back came ON's and they scored a well worked try underneath the posts as the Blues defence was breached for the first time. With the try converted the lead was halved, only for Daniel to again extend the lead with a further penalty, which the Blues felt should have been a try, when Daniels quick taken penalty was ruled out by the referee and the opportunity was denied.

With the visitors needing 2 scores and the game entering the final stages, they mounted a concerted effort and were rewarded when their right wing squeezed in at the corner, despite the best efforts of Taylor to prevent the score. This led to a very tense last 5 minutes, in which both sides had a player sin-binned for hand bagging, but the Blues managed to see the time out and deservedly claim the points, on a day where they were just about the better of two well matched sides.

RAJ Man of the Match: Archie Toseland