A concerted effort by the Chinnor groundstaff to clear the pitch of snow proved worthwhile as their team proceeded to beat Olney 42-8.

The league leaders scored seven tries to Olney's one, and if Conor Begley had had his kicking boots on, the scoreline would have been even more emphatic.

Chinnor led 22-0 at half-time by virtue of Begley's try, plus a brace from powerful No 8 Paul Hennessy, one of which Begley converted.

Tim Jackson completed the first-half scoring with a 50-metre burst down the touchline.

Centre Darren Oxley, in his best game for the club, scored two tries in the second half, while flanker Mike Cook completed the try tally, with Begley adding his second conversion.

Olney managed a penalty and a try before Ben Thompson rounded off the scoring with a drop goal.

Witney's hopes of avoiding the drop took a dive when they lost 11-3 away to fellow strugglers Stow-on-the-Wold, who sealed victory with a late try.

The visitors, whose lightweight pack struggled in the conditions, defended resolutely and took the lead through Paul Thomas's penalty, Stow levelling with a penalty ten minutes before half-time.

Within five minutes of the restart, Stow took the lead with a penalty, and with tempers beginning to flare, they lost a player to the sin-bin for stamping.

The visitors then had one of their best spells of the match, but good attacking positions were lost either by knock-ons or forward passes.

With time running out, Witney ran the ball from their own 22. When the move broke down, the ball was hacked over the Witney tryline and a Stow hand got there first for the only try.