Wallingford will hardly be lacking confidence as they look to get back to winning ways.

They may have suffered their first league defeat in 17 months, but coach Chris Norrington is still warning their Southern Counties North opponents to watch out.

And Norrington felt Grove, who beat them 32-24, had little to frighten them.

"We will beat Grove next time, I'm really confident of that," said Norrington.

"I can't wait to next time.

"I would back us to score tries against anyone, but we were off the pace against Grove."

Norrington added: "Missing our captain, Kris Blaszko, with an injury, upset us a bit.

"It was a very loose game and we gave them at least three scores from our mistakes.

"Hopefully that is all our mistakes out of the way for the season.

"If we had really got the scrum going, we could have exposed their small scrum half."

And Norrington's Grove counterpart Neil Osborne is also full of optimism as they look ahead to Saturday's trip to Aylesbury.

"We had a good season last year, which should have yielded us more dividends," he said.

"It is just about carrying it forward now.

"We have got a young side and it is about maturing together.

"The average age of the side when I came here two years ago was 32/33, now it is 24, which is great for the future."

  • Wallingford are looking to recruit a new physio to aid their Southern Counties North challenge.

Anyone interested should contact club chairman Jerry Walters on 07765 091359.

  • Chinnor Academy face two tough tests in the space of a week in their search to establish themselves as a rugby force.

Worcester Warriors Academy play their Chinnor counterparts at Kingsey Road in a curtain-raiser before the first team's South West 1 clash with Coney Hill on Saturday.

Chinnor Academy then travel to Iffley Road next Friday to take on Oxford University Under 21s.