Round-up

BICESTER secured a battling 12-0 victory at Swindon College that took them up to fourth in the BB&O Premier Division.

The visitors gave a league debut to 17-year-old No 8 Jack Horwood, who joined brothers, hooker Dan and lock Tom, in the pack.

Bicester, who defended strongly throughout, saw wing Craig Smith held up after flanker Jake Sawyer’s line-out catch.

They took the lead on 38 minutes when No 9 Steve Risbridger dummied his way over from a scrum and added the conversion himself.

Five minutes after the break, wing Dave Aslett produced a scintillating 40-metre run to score try No 2.

Swindon fly half Scott Buchanan missed a penalty and Bicester replacement Adam Spencer was sin-binned.

The visitors finished strongly, with Risbridger going close again.

Two tries fom Joe Pigott helped Harwell see off Henley 4th 20-0 in BB&O Division 1 South.

Carl Tappin’s try made it 5-0 at the break as Harwell dominated the set-pieces. John Froud-Davis added to Pigott’s second-half brace to earn a bonus point.

Grove saw their Southern Counties Intermediate Cup semi-final at Wootton Bassett postponed due to a waterlogged pitch.

Meanwhile, Alchester received a walkover in their Southern Counties Senior Vase semi-final at Thatcham.

They are due to visit Blandford in the final on March 19, while Abingdon, who gained a walkover from East Dorset, will travel to Princes Risborough in the Southern Counties Junior Vase final on the same day.

The Southern Counties winners will face the Western Counties winners in national quarter-finals on April 2.

OTHER SCORERS

BB&O Premier A: Witney 2nd 19 (tries J Taafe 2, T James; cons S Copperwheat 2), Windsor 2nd 5.

Berks, Bucks & Oxon Div 2 North: Witney 4th 8 (try L Manning; pen Manning), Chinnor 4th 0; Winslow 16, Bicester 3rd 17 (try F Everitt; pens J Blake 4).