PRE KICK-OFF traffic issues failed to prevent Royal Wootton Bassett recording another victory last weekend but head coach Alan Low wasn’t impressed with his side’s performance in their 45-13 Southern Counties South success at struggling Dorchester.

A delayed coach meant the team didn’t arrive at the ground until 40 minutes before their 2.30pm start time but Bassett still raced out of the blocks to score three tries in the opening ten minutes.

Despite racking up 45 points in total, Low was disappointed to see his league leaders concede 13 points against the league’s bottom club – the most Bassett have conceded in a single game since October.

He said: “We started brilliantly in the first 10 or 15 minutes. We scored three tries early, then had a bit of a mind-lapse. We could have really racked up a huge score, which is where we should have been.

“We started doing things which we don’t do. It ended up looking like sevens rugby, which is not what we should have been doing.

“We felt a little bit flat afterwards. Hopefully, that was the mental slip-up out the way.

“The guys knew. I didn’t have to say too much after the game. They knew they had not performed as well as they could have done.

“We talk about performance and they knew as a group after the game; the performance was not quite right.”

Early on, Ashley Stephens scored two tries whilst Elye Darragh also crossed the line, with David Hogg converting all three.

Dorchester hit back with a penalty and despite Bassett’s Gary Williamson also crossing the whitewash, the hosts scored two tries of their own to make it 26-13 at half-time.

But after the break, normal service was resumed as Kyle Lovell, Mark Trowbridge and Williamson all scored with Hogg successfully converting a further two times.

The bonus point win maintains Bassett’s four point lead at the top of the Southern Counties South league ahead of Midsomer Norton.

And with two of the bottom three teams still to play in their remaining three games, Bassett look strong favourites for the title.

Low, however, is refusing to get carried away and says he is expecting a tough final three games, which reflect the strong nature of the league.

“We have said we will take every game on its merits,” he added.

“Everyone in the league, no matter where they are, has turned over someone further up. It’s one of the things we have chatted about – the strength of this league from top to bottom compared to last year – I think there’s a lot more depth in the league.

“The league is quite open we have got to go into every game looking to put a performance in we are capable of.”

Elsewhere, Swindon have now gone three matches without a victory in South West One East after their 29-27 reverse at Oxford Harlequins last weekend.