Otley 27 (Tries: Scully, Bland, Wring, Sayers. Cons: Binns 2. Pen: Binns.) 

Exeter Chiefs 7 (Try: Liddington. Con: Yapp.)  

Leaders Exeter Chiefs went down to a shock defeat at Cross Green with Otley running out clear winners out scoring the Chiefs four tries to one. Exeter are now just four points clear of Bristol having played a game more.

Otley were ahead in the sixth minute when scrum half Dave Scully went in for a try and Simon Binns converted for 7-0. The Chiefs hit back five minutes later when prop Richard Liddington touched down and Tony Yapp converted. 

With tries from flanker Nathan Bland and prop Justin Wring the home side built up a 19-7 half time lead.

In the second half lost flanker Mark Gabey to a second yellow and he was sent off.

Binns kicked a 65^th minute penalty before the home side sealed the win with a try from hooker Duncan Sayers.

Coventry 17 (Tries: Perry, Rheeders. Cons: Davies 2. Pen: Davies.) 

Bristol Shoguns 27 (Tries: Marsden 2, Nelson. Pens: Strange 4.) 

Great day for the Shoguns with victory in this match which a few observers thought they might come unstuck in and with Exeter losing they are just four points behind the leaders now with a game in hand.

Jason Strange kicked a couple of penalty goals in the 7^th and 14^th minutes to give the Shoguns a 6-0 lead. Coventry were ahead a minute later when flanker Hendry Rheeders went over for the games opening try and full back Richard Davies converted. They went 14-6 ahead when scrum half Shaun Perry went in for a try on 27 minutes and Davies again added the extras. 

Strange kicked a third penalty goal on 40 minutes and in injury time they drew level with left wing Sean Marsden touched down.

Eight minutes into the second half and Strange kicked the visitors into the lead again. Just before the hour they pulled further clear when Marsden got a second try for 22-14. Davies pulled three points back with a penalty on 76 minutes but a try from hooker Saul Nelson sealed the win for the Shoguns.

Pertemps Bees 6 (Pen: Walsh. DG: Walsh.) 

Rotherham 35 (Tries: Strettle 2, Tuiavii, Golding. Cons: Eaton 3. Pens: Eaton 3.) 

Rare back to back wins for Rotherham with this comfortable away success over Pertemps Bees who have now lost five in a row with four tries in the second half.  

The first half was a tight affair with the sides going in at 6 all. Tom Eaton kicked a couple of penalty goals for whilst for the home side Tim Walsh kicked a penalty goal and dropped a goal.

In the second half Eaton gave the visitors a lead on 42 minutes but three converted tries in 11 minutes settled the match as Strettle bagged a brace after flanker Des Tuiavii got the first on 50 minutes.

The win was sealed when prop Jonathan Golding got the fourth try securing the bonus point in the 77^th minute.

Henley Hawks 13 (Try: Honeyben. Con: Honeyben. Con: Honeyben. DG: Honeyben.) 

Nottingham 10 (Tries: Fitisemanu, Easter.) 

Much needed win for the Hawks at home to Nottingham who are now just two points behind London Welsh and eight points behind Nottingham. .

Nottingham were on the scoreboard in just the sixth minute when flanker Nick Fitisemanu touched down for an unconverted try. The home side were off the mark in the 18^th minute with Matt Honeyben slotting over a penalty goal in the final score of the half.

Four minutes into the second half and the Hawks were ahead with centre Ali James touching down and Honeyben converting for 10-5.

10 minutes later they went further ahead with Honeyben dropping a goal for 13-5.

The visitors were back in it when No 8 Mark Easter got a 66^th minute try.

That though was the final score of the match the the Hawks getting what cold be an important win for them.

Sedgley Park 46 (Tries: Feeley 2, Feeney, Senior, Skurr, McCormack, De Jager. Cons: Feeney 4. Pen: Feeney.) 

London Welsh 27 (Tries: Cox, Woods, Pugh. Cons: Whitehead 3. Pens: Whitehead 2.) 

After a dreadful losing run Sedgeley Park return to winning ways with a seven try display at home to London Welsh, just their fourth four try bonus point of the season.

After the Welsh took a 3^rd minute lead with a Michael Whitehead penalty goal the home side scored 17 points in seven minute spell to lead 17-3 after 13 minutes. There were tries for fly half Blair Feeney and flanker Richard Senior with Feeney converting both and kicking a penalty goal. Winger Jon Feeley got another home try on the half hour mark and Park went in 22-3 ahead at the break. 

Whitehead got the opening score of the second half with another penalty goal before the home side took even more control with three more tries in a 15 minute spell to go into a 41-6 lead including a second for Feeley.

In the final 15 minutes the Welsh did manage to cross the Park line three times but the match was lost be then. .

Bedford Blues 23 (Try: Hinton. Pens: Hinton 5. DG: Hallett.) 

Penzance & Newlyn 28 (Tries: Arasa, James, Motusaga, Ince. Cons: Jarvis 4.) 

Excellent away win for the Pirates who return to winning ways as Bedford lose for the third time in four matches.  

Three tries in the first half saw the Pirates go in at the break in 21-9 ahead. Leigh Hinton just managed to keep the home side in the game with three penalty goals.

Hinton kicked a fourth penalty goal just after the break but in the 50^th minute the visitors had the four try bonus point in the bag with hooker Peter Ince touching down and Lee Jarvis making in four conversions out of four.

Hinton pulled three points back in the 53^rd minute and in the 69^th minute got the home side a try to get them back to eight points. They did manage to pick up a losing bonus point when replacement Kieran Hallett dropped a goal well into injury time. 

  .

Orrell 27 (Tries: Spragg, Winney, Viney. Cons: Moore 3. Pen: Moore. DG: Winney.) 

Plymouth Albion 32 (Tries: Ward Smith, Robinson, Fabian, Too’ala. Cons: Pritchard 3. Pens: Pritchard.) 

Plymouth were pushed all the way by Orrell before coming through to take the points and stay on the heels of the top two, they are now six points behind Exeter with a game in hand. Orrell put in another good performance but again not quite enough as they go down to a 19^th loss of the season from 21 matches.    

No 8 Dan Ward Smith gave Albion a great start with a second minute try converted by James Pritchard but just a minute later James Moore slotted over a penalty goal to trail 3-7.

Pritchard then slotted over a couple of penalty goals with Ross Winney droping a goal between them. And when left wing Lee Robinson touched down in the 38^th minute, Pritchard converted to send the visitors in 20-6 ahead.

By the hour mark Orrell had drawn level with tries from full back Warren Sprague and centre Ross Winney and conversions from Moore.

Right wing Jon Fabian gave the visitors the lead again just four minutes later. They sealed the win and secured the bonus point in the 76^th minute when flanker Alfie Too’ala touched down and Pritchard converted.