Southern Counties North: Grove held on to their third place in the table, despite going down 18-8 away to a well-organised Buckingham side.

In a match of two contrasting styles, Grove tried to move the ball wide, while Buckingham preferred a more grinding and defensive style of rugby.

Buckingham's tactics proved the more effective on the day.

The home side attacked Grove relentlessly for the first 20 minutes, with their pack taking strikes against the head and also stealing lineout ball.

Two penalties in front of the posts gave them a 6-0 lead, before Grove hit back with a try from full back Nick Sevier.

Grove started the second half the brighter and looked as though they would take control, but it was Buckingham who went further ahead with a try after a massive drive from the forwards.

A penalty by replacement fly half Roger Sevier narrowed the gap to 11-8, but Grove fell foul of the referee, who awarded a series of controversial penalties to Buckingham.

A Grove defensive error let in Buckingham for a converted try to wrap up victory.

Bicester were comprehensively beaten 33-5 at home to top-of-the-table High Wycombe.

Despite the advantage of the slope, Bicester were 21-0 down at half-time, and when the visitors immediately added another try after the break, the contest was effectively over.

To their credit, Bicester never gave up, conceding only one further try in the second 40 minutes and scoring one themselves.

The home forwards, led by Mark Malins, Anthony Nightingale and Martin Linstrom, impressed in the rucks and mauls, but neither backs nor forwards were really able to trouble the well-organised Wycombe defence.

Two of the Wycombe tries were gifted by handling errors, while the other three were the result of Bicester's ever-retreating scrum.

Bicester's crumb of comfort was scored by winger Tom Edgar.

Another poor display saw Witney go down 13-3 at Olney.

Dominating the first ten minutes, Luke Hollick put the visitors 3-0 ahead.

Olney replied with a penalty and then some indiscipline saw Witney reduced to 13 men as Andy Merriman and Will Worrall were yellow-carded for collapsing mauls.

The home side took advantage to score a try for an 8-3 half-time lead.

Witney appeared to go into the second half in a state of semi-rigor mortis as one of the Olney centres crashed through for an early unconverted try.

The rest of the game was deadlocked.