Walsall maintained their impressive start to the new season with another fine performance. They travelled to the outskirts of Nottingham to face a strong Paviors outfit. Once again, the Walsall team made the ideal start as they crossed for a try after just thirty seconds. They did well to gather the ball at the kick off and then retain possession over the next sixty yards before the ball was released to the Walsall backs. Ben Pitt then gave a well-timed pass to Dan Carpenter on the left wing. He showed terrific speed and evasive skills as he ran in the try from forty yards. The hosts responded with some powerful ball carries, bur credit must be given to the determined defending displayed by the Walsall players. Ten minutes later and it was some super skills by Callum Hoy that led to the next try. The Walsall lock forward took the lineout ball and then proceeded to break through the line and then break through tackles on thirty yards try scoring run. Five minutes later it was another try from deep in their own half by the visitors. Once again Ben Pitt moved the ball to Max Brown. The Walsall winger made good ground before finding flanker Lucas Cotterell in support. Lucas maintained the attack before finding Carpenter in support. Once again, he showed good speed and evasive skills on his twenty yards run before touching down for his second try. The hosts were having good periods of possession, eventually they broke through the hard-working Walsall defence. Centre Josh Mallett makes the final try scoring burst with Billam adding the conversion. It seemed that the hosts had added to their try total when scrum half Joe Coleman had made a fine burst for a try from twenty yards. It seemed, however, that he had just ‘touched’ the sideline as he scampered. But from the ensuing lineout, a strong drive followed by a quick Coleman pass saw Number 8 Rhys Gaddu go over for the touchdown! Walsall continued to show a positive attitude and a Toby Smith chip ahead was collected by the ever-alert George Hill. The Walsall flanker was soon over for a try from close range. The first half came to a close with Walsall putting pressure on the Paviors lineout. Hooker Pete Fitzgerald was quick to react and gave a well-timed pass to Rhys Gaddu for the No8 to gather and show good pace to go over for the try. The conversion by Adam Nunney gave the Walsall team a 40 – 7 lead at halftime.
The visitors were the first to score after the interval. Centre Quade Boal made a fine line break and then found the hard-working Callum Hoy in support. The Walsall lock forward then showed good speed to run in the try from twenty yards. The hosts soon responded as they continued to make several powerful ball carries which resulted in Mallet going through for his second try, which Billam converted. The game moved into the final fifteen minutes. Nunney put over a thirty-yard penalty for Walsall and then centre Stokes finished off a good handling attack by the hosts. A late surge saw them add two more scores. The visitors were guilty of some weak discipline. They conceded a penalty try and good passing resulted in winger Owen Evans also going over. But it was the visitors that secured the final score. Replacement Corbon Clarke-Selby was quick to support a quickly taken penalty and then go over for a try under the Paviors goal posts. Adam Nunney’s seventh conversion completed the scoring.