Oxford Harlequins 33, Cleve 3

It wasn’t pretty, but Oxford Harlequins began the year with a bonus-point victory over National 3 South West’s basement boys.

Quins started slowly and made plenty of errors, but when they got the ball moving, they showed cutting edge on a sticky pitch.

Cleve have lost every game this season and this was evident when they failed to capitalise on long periods of possession.

They also came up against a disciplined and effective Quins’ defence, which proved more than their match.

Quins gave a debut to Samoan centre Chris Tuatara, a former professional rugby league player, who combined some strong running with the odd loose off-load and a yellow card.

With both teams having had lengthy lay-offs due to the big freeze and Christmas, it was no surprise that the opening ten minutes were the scrappiest of the match.

But then, almost out of nothing, Quins’ most impressive players, flanker Ryan Newman and No 8 Jason Welburn, created the opening try for full back Huw Jones on 12 minutes.

Fly half Jeff Stewart added the conversion and then the game went into a lull again.

Frequent knock-ons stymied Quins’ chances, while they lost wing Alex Lyness with a dislocated shoulder.

Shack Ajuwa threatened briefly for Cleve, while fellow wing Sam Britton was well stopped by Quins’ alert centre Martin Nutt as they sought to counter.

Referee Chris Bartlett had already warned Quins about their penalty count before sin-binning Tuatara for not rolling away in the tackle.

Cleve fly half Gareth Knox kicked their only points from a 39th-minute penalty, but the hosts struck again in stoppage time.

Nutt collected his own kick to poach a try, converted by Stewart.

Quins’ forwards began the second half strongly and effectively won the game on 43 minutes.

Bartlett awarded them a penalty try after Cleve captain Sam Roach killed the ball near the line and Stewart converted for 21-3.

Cleve had lots of possession and territory, but lacked any creativity.

Once they had absorbed this pressure, Quins struck twice in the final ten minutes.

Firstly, industrious lock Alan Purchase powered over from close range, Stewart converting.

Tuatara was recalled following a forward pass, but there was no such reprieve for Cleve when wing Xavier Andre received the ball on his own ten-metre line.

He simply accelerated and raced in for try No 5, which proved the final action.

Oxford Harlequins: H Jones, Lyness (Speechly 24), Nutt, Tuatara, Andre, Stewart, Cope, Chadbone (capt), Clark, Barlow (Eckert 52), Purchase, Boyle, Newman, Young (Knapp 58), Welburn. Referee: C Bartlett (Dorset & Wilts). Man-of-the-match: Welburn.