By Sam Wheeler (Yorkshire Post, 3-9-07)

Last season's relegation came as a blessed relief to several Otley players, who had become weary of spending 80 minutes tackling bigger, more professional opponents in National One every week.

Rugby is no fun when you are being overpowered but the early signs are that in National Two, Otley will be the bullies rather than the bullied.

This was a stuttering start to their attempt to win promotion, and coaches Peter Clegg and Mark Luffman were far from happy, but their forwards made mincemeat of the side that was demoted with them, despite being without former Premiership men Dan Hyde and Justin Wring.

A dominant pack is a good foundation for success and fluency should follow.

Of course, overpowering Waterloo does not guarantee anything, but the visitors have strengthened over the close season and feel that they will be among the contenders to go back up.

If so, Otley should win National Two at a canter. They ought to have won here by 25 points, having spent almost the entire game in Waterloo territory.

They made dozens of little mistakes and frequently took wrong options, leaving Clegg to lament his charges' failure to stick to his instructions.

Despite the promptings of veteran former Ireland scrum-half Guy Easterby and the assurance of on-loan Leeds stand-off Adam Greendale – a half-back combination who at 36 and 18, respectively, could be father and son – the midfield was muddled.

Chances went begging: prop Steve Trethewey was held up over the line when he looked certain to score, and later dropped a pass when all he had to do was catch it and fall over for a try.

They might have paid for their profligacy. They went into the break with an unflattering 12-3 lead, courtesy of two tries scored when visiting lock Jon Nugent was in the sin-bin, but allowed Waterloo to get back into the game with two beautifully-crafted tries from scrum-half Luke Stringer.

With 15 minutes to go, the sides were level. Otley were stunned but held their nerve. A series of surges soon earned a penalty which Greendale chipped over. With three minutes of normal time remaining, Trethewey atoned for his error through his part alongside Kris Fullman in another destructive scrum, and Easterby slipped in Danny Smith at the corner for his second try.

Easterby had also provided the pass for lock Paul Williams to dance nimbly down the blind-side of a ruck for the second try, and opened up the defence with some sharp breaks from the base of scrums. Back on the family farm in Tadcaster after three years with Leinster, he looks a terrific signing.

So does Greendale, who kicked 10 points, including two touchline conversions.

It was hard to believe that the youngster was playing his first competitive senior match, so unfazed did he look, so booming was his boot and so nonchalantly did he shrug off the effects of a ferocious early tackle.

"Adam is very talented, so confident," said Easterby, who went on to explain why he chose Otley when he had offers from bigger clubs. "I've known Peter for years. I started under him at Harrogate, and he convinced me that he could keep everyone together here. I've always liked this club and it was an easy decision for me.

"Promotion is the goal and if we don't get it, I'll consider the season a failure."

Things look rosy on the field, with five first-choice players due back for their next game, but there are concerns.

One hopes that the club are not over-stretching themselves financially to pay for this team, with Saturday's attendance barely a couple of hundred.

And what happens if they do go up? Otley would again be impecunious part-timers in an increasingly professional division; three of their signings are the wrong side of 34 and Greendale and impressive hooker Phil Nilsen are due to return to Leeds Carnegie at the end of the season.

Next season, Leeds could again be rivals, rather than a source of players and coaches. For the moment, though, Otley are just delighted to be winning again, having lost 17 out of their previous 18 league games.

Justin Wring, Dan Hyde, James Tiffany, Rob Whatmuff, Kyle Dench and Steve Parsons should be in contention for the next fixture at home to Blaydon on 22nd September.

Otley: Shuttleworth (Brown 78); Kitching, Buchanan, Mooney, Smith; Greendale, Easterby; Trethewey (Turner 78), Nilsen, Fullman (Wederall 78); Snowball, Williams; Bland, Andre (Steele 78), Stockdale

Waterloo: Mazzucato; Dodd, Lowden, Duffy, Loader; A Davies, Stringer; O'Keefe (Hall 80), Ince, Pani; Nugent (T Davies 50), Davidson; Smith, Palmer, York

Referee: A Vertigan (RFU)

MATCH STATISTICS

Otley 25

Tries: Smith (2), Williams

Cons: Greendale (2)

Pens: Greendale (2)

Waterloo 15

Tries: Stringer (2)

Cons: Davies

Pens: Davies

Click here for photos of the match taken by Paul Barrett

Click here for individual league records