WET weather may well influence the region’s rugby this weekend, but Swindon coach Neil Loader is intent on sticking to the running and passing style of rugby that has been so good to them in Southern Counties North so far this term.

Loader’s side makes the trip to Milton Keynes tomorrow well aware that a win could send them back to top spot, should Aylesbury contrive to lose or draw at home to lowly Oxford, but even the allure of first place will not persuade the Greenbridge Road outfit to abandon their methods in favour of rough and tumble, whatever the conditions.

Instead, Loader believes his players have the ability to manoeuvre their way, at pace, to victory in Buckinghamshire.

“Some people say that, when it gets wet, you can’t stick to playing running rugby. I don’t buy into that,” he said.

“I think you should be able to play as you want to and we will still be playing our normal game.

“It will be a tough game and won we really need to be winning, but I am sure we have it in us to do so.”

The former Rugby Parma coach recognised the ever-growing importance of bonus points within the league table.

Despite having picked up eight winning bonus points thanks to their proficiency in attack, Swindon have failed to pick up a losing bonus point since their introduction at the beginning of the season.

And Loader hopes that statistic will not come back to haunt his team come April.

“Those bonus points will have a big part to play, that’s for sure,” he said.

“Of course I don’t want to lose, but if that is the case we need to be keeping close and getting that losing bonus point.

“We have eight winning bonus points and I think the next closest is on five or six, so that shows how well we have been doing going forward.”

Michael Fitchett will come back into the Swindon side at prop in place of Richard White, who drops to the bench, whilst Fraser Brown swaps the wing for scrum-half as he fills in for the injured Connal Knott.

Matt Allen will take Brown’s berth out wide, as Luke Zammit is drafted into the matchday squad as cover for the three-quarters.