Oxford Harlequins were pipped 29-20 by Clifton at Horspath Road in a thrilling match that could have gone either way.

Quins had a disastrous start when fly-half Dean Aven's kick was charged down by Clifton centre Kent, who picked up and ran around under the posts for an easy try. Fly-half Barnes converted.

With the home forwards settling down against a bigger Clifton pack, Quins reduced the deficit with a penalty from Aven, before Barnes replied in kind for Clifton.

Quins' centres Charlie Mawle and Henry Pooler started to find chinks in the Clifton defence and the home side levelled the scores with an excellent try.

Aven's diagonal cross-kick was snapped up by right wing Will Greenwood, who made ground and sent Pooler scorching under the post for Aven to convert.

More good work by the pack, with the back row of Jamie Cope, Paul Nye and Shaun Baxter to the fore, saw Quins go ahead. After driving back the Clifton eight, a series of long passes led to hooker Simon Chadbone going over to make it 15-10.

Clifton hit back when Bentley-Smith went over for a try which Barnes converted to give the visitors a two-point advantage at the break.

Clifton increased their lead on the hour when Barnes slipped through a gap and converted his own try to put them 24-15 ahead, but a minute later Quins hit back when Pooler's break set up Greenwood for a try.

Several driving runs by No 8 Nye almost brought scores, before Clifton's final try from scrum half Froast gave the visitors a flattering victory.

Chinnor started well and finished with a flourish, but in between provided a lack-lustre performance against Gloucester Old Boys, before running out 28-11 victors.

The visitors' powerful pack denied Chinnor possession by virtue of strong scrummaging and an accurate line-out, but they could not stop James Cathcart slicing through for a fine try under the posts which he converted.

The Old Boys replied with a Matt Sherrett penalty, but a Cathcart penalty was quickly followed by a try from Cameron Shaw, who charged down an attempted clearance kick to touch down in the corner.

Chinnor then went into their shell, allowing the Old Boys to take the game to them and it was no surprise when second row Greenwood went over to reduce the deficit to 15-8 at half-time.

A Sherrett drop goal early in the second period proved a wake-up call for the home side who replied with two penalties from Cathcart and another try by Shaw after good work by Sam McIvor.

An excellent touchline conversion by Cathcart completed the scoring.