A Ben Saunders try two minutes from the end secured a first away win of the season for the Saints.

Both sides showed great skill and desire to overcome driving rain and a biting wind to put on a fiercely and evenly contested game with the outcome in the balance right up to the final whistle.

The Saints made a promising start to the game, but ill-discipline gave the home side two successive penalties allowing Bassett to gain good attacking field position.

The Wiltshire All-Blacks patiently built up the phases before springing the ball wide for winger Chris Tamaiva-Toon to score a well worked try, converted by scrum-half Rhys Floyd (7-0).

The Cornishmen looked to have scored from a lineout catch and drive but were penalised for a side entry at the maul. The Saints pack had the edge at the scrum and a collapse by the home front row allowed Rory O’Kane to slot over a penalty (7-3).

As the half hour mark approached a promising kick ahead was pulled back after the over eager Saints chasers had strayed offside. Smart thinking by Rhys Floyd saw the livewire scrumhalf take a quick tap from the mark before sending a grubber kick into the Saints 22.

The kick skidded along the saturated surface causing panic in the defence as they tried to gather the bobbling ball. It spilled from the grasp of despairing Cornish hands allowing winger Henry Taylor to dot down (14-3).

The Saints came out for the second half determined to reduce the inaccuracies in their execution and improve their discipline. They succeeded on both counts to starve the home side of possession for long periods. The Saints only conceded one penalty in the second forty minutes, eradicating the easy territory gains the home side enjoyed in the first period.

A series of drives created the platform for flanker Hector Bright to power over for an early try, converted by O’Kane (14-10). It seemed to set the stage for more to follow with the Saints dominating possession for long periods of the game, but they were unable to convert the pressure into points.

It was far from one-way traffic with the home side creating moments of their own and as the game wore on it was clear the next score would probably determine the outcome. Saints’ hearts were in their mouths when number eight Oliver Baycroft charged down a clearance kick. The scramble defence just managed to prevent a home score and a Ben Saunders kick cleared the danger.

With the game moving into the final five minutes, the Saints built up a pressure cooker of momentum as they went through 21 phases in an impressive display of attacking endeavour, patience, and continuity.

Bassett were equally determined and disciplined in defence as they stood firm but eventually lost flanker Harry Murphy to a yellow card as their efforts to keep the Saints out became increasingly desperate.

Hooker Pete Harris took the tap-penalty under the shadow of the posts, the forwards took the ball on twice more before it was sprung wide for full-back Ben Saunders to glide over on the 78th minute for the decisive score (14-15).