Rugby lifted themselves back out of the relegation zone with a convincing victory at Butlin Road..
Town extended their much-needed unbeaten run to four matches with two goals in each half, with Liam Francis and Silvano Obeng's strikes sandwiching a brace of successful spot-kicks from Loyiso Recci.
Carl Adams plumped for Paul Hathaway between the sticks in the only change from the eleven that had started the week previously against Bedworth, and the Valley boss saw his side make a confident start against their mid table opponents.
Theo Rowe's early cross-shot was pushed away by the body of Wood defender Asa Charlton amid fruitless appeals from the home team for handball, and Mikey Taylor lifted one way over the bar from distance shorty after.
Taylor then helped a further chance high of the target after Ayo Lekuti's centre had picked him out, before the visitors threatened for the first time when Hathway was down neatly to parry away Mitch Botfield's low strike.
A David Kolodynski shot was deflected wide and Recci's close range effort from the resulting corner was blocked well by Walsall keeper Dale Eve, as the hosts contnued to push for a deserved opener.
The goal came on 10 minutes after Eve could only juggle a Chris Clements corner at his back post - allowing Francis to help the ball over the line for only his second goal of the season.
Kolodynski then put a decent opportunity into the side netting as Town looked to extend their advantage, but they nearly surrendered that when it was Hathaway's turn to drop a regulation cross - only to see the ball ultimately drift wide.
Taylor's strength and subsequent turbo boost run into the box then saw him round Eve before going down under an illegal challenge into his back from Asa Charlton, and Recci took advantage of the awarded penalty by firing one straight down the middle to make it two-nil.
There were two further reasonable chances for Rugby ahead of the interval, with Rowe putting one over after more purposeful play from Taylor and Ryan Sahota doing well to make an interception to drive on and force Eve into a good fingertip save to his curled effort.
Recci did block out a strike from Ross Evans in the closing minutes of the first half, but overall it was a satisfactory opening forty-five minutes from Adams's men.
The visitors did offer some threat though upon the game's resumption, with Evans and Joe Fitzpatrick missing out early on. Dan Summerfield's challenge in the box then denied Charlie Manners, with Manners also heading one wide just after this.
Town soon regained their composure and with it the ascendancy though, and both Sahota and Madundo Semahimbo put efforts wide, before Eve saved a close range Taylor header after Kolodynski had flicked on a Semahimbo cross.
Manners did volley one the wrong side of the frame, before Town grabbed two more vital goals in three minutes.
Their third of the afternoon also came from the spot, after Sahota had been halted by a wild tackle from Corey Cooper, and this time Recci calmly steered the ball into the bottom right hand corner from twelve yards.
Rugby's goal difference was further boosted on 86 minutes after Eve had pushed Sahota's low effort into the path of sub Obeng - who duly finished off the loose ball.
Sahota nearly added a fifth when he lifted the ball over the oncoming Eve after he had run onto a Semahimbo pass - only to see it bounce agonisingly wide of the post, with the final opportunity of the game falling to Walsall when Hathaway pulled off a decent stop to keep out a strike from Manners.
