Grove 72, Bicester 0

Grove roared to the top of the Southern Counties North table with a superb team performance at Cane Lane.

Bicester missed too many tackles, but they simply could not deal with Grove’s all-round pace and precision.

Full back John Barrett and centre Nick Sevier each grabbed a brace in the hosts’ 12-try haul – and it could have been more.

Handling errors prevented at least two further scores, while referee Andrew Rolfe blew up early after Bicester fly half Jak Cluness was knocked out when hitting his head on the hard ground.

Cluness was taken to hospital by ambulance, but was released on Saturday night.

Grove’s first try, on six minutes, saw prop Richard Keen peel off a maul to drive over.

Despite playing against the wind, it was 10-0 after ten minutes when star man Barrett dummied his way through.

Bicester spent periods in Grove territory, but Cluness’s skewed penalty kick kept them off the scoreboard.

Instead Grove scored try No 3 on 23 minutes as Roger Sevier, Jamie Fredericks and Ben Nicholl all had a hand in a move finished by Nick Sevier.

Bicester didn’t help themselves by losing scrums against the head and were 22-0 down when centre Jamie Burns ran through the middle, Roger Sevier converting.

Two minutes later No 8 Ben Nicholl finished off a try begun by Tom Harrington’s sharp left wing break, fly half Roger Sevier converting.

Grove captain Steve Maryon spilt the ball as he sought to score their sixth, before flanker Guy Nicholl broke through for an easy try.

Roger Sevier’s conversion made it 36-0 at the break and he was at it again immediately after the restart following Harrington’s long-range score.

Only full back Chad Ward’s tackling stood in the way of a rampant Grove, but they struck again with Barrett’s second on 44 minutes.

Hooker Jon North notched with a close-range finish, converted by Roger Sevier.

Having used their only two replacements, Bicester went down to 14 men when skipper Dan Spencer limped off.

Grove maintained their onslaught with replacement Jason Evans scoring from his first touch after being cleverly set up by Roger Sevier.

He fumbled when his second try looked on soon after, but impressive scrum half Will MacKenzie powered over for Roger Sevier to convert.

Evans’s chip kick set up the final try for Nick Sevier.

Grove: Barrett, Harrington, N Sevier, Burns, Shephard (Evans 62), R Sevier, MacKenzie, Eltham, North, Keen, S Maryon (capt), Wright, Fredericks (Weaving 60), G Nicholl, B Nicholl.

Bicester: Ward, Walsh, Clifton, Nash (Dye 60), Brown, Cluness, Smith, W Morris, G Evans, N Evans, Malins, Clayton (Giles 50), Teckoe, Nightingale, D Spencer (capt).

Referee: A Rolfe (Oxfordshire).

Man-of-the-match: Barrett.