NICK Brooks plans to build strength in depth at Swindon before launching a promotion challenge from Southern Counties South.

His comments were voiced after Saturday’s 24-17 win over Wiltshire rivals Corsham at Greenbridge Road, a performance that placed Brooks’ men two points shy of third-placed Devizes, who suffered a shock 26-0 loss at Swanage & Wareham.

Following Swindon’s relegation from South West One East last season, the club is now playing at Level Seven for the first time since the 2010-11 season.

It took the club four seasons to win promotion from Southern Counties South the last time they found themselves in this league.

And while being understandably keen to promote the club to its highest tier possible, a realistic Brooks insists the current campaign is, first and foremost, about understanding where the club is ability wise.

Swindon head coach Brooks said: “We’re not focussed on going straight back up – most teams that do that come straight back down.

“This season is about ensuring we rebuild and have strength in depth before we look at promotion.

“Southern Counties is a very competitive league. We were shell-shocked at how competitive it is at the start of the season, particularly given the club has played at Level Six for almost a decade.

“We are in a hungry league. Often the team that is in the right mind frame on the day will win, that’s what we’ve learnt so far.

“The league table can be redundant. It’s about the team you face and how hungry they are.”

Brooks’ time at Swindon can be traced back to the turn of the millennium.

During the now head coach’s playing days, he featured for the club’s first and second teams before he took up his first senior coaching role by assisting the second team last season – helping them to finish fourth in Dorset & Wilts Two North.

Also a proven youth team coach, Brooks accepts Saturday’s seven-point win over Corsham could have been far greater had it not been for a number of poor decision-making moves.

Brooks added: “We were restricted in terms of how the officials interpreted the game – but you game blame the referees for everything.

“We played really well within our skill set.

“We were dominant in the scrums and improved our lineout from the previous week.

“It was one of those days. We struggled to string things together to make for a fluid game of rugby.”

Elsewhere in Southern Counties South, Swindon College Old Boys were beaten 16-15 at home by mid-table Combe Down.

The defeat drops Old Boys down to ninth in the division.

Meanwhile, South West One East title contenders Royal Wootton Bassett maintained their unbeaten run so far this season by cruising past Beaconsfield.

The returning Phil Bardwell scored two tries, while Josh McCafferty, Jefeti Vakalalabure, Sam Davies and Gavin Ougan also crossed the whitewash in the hosts’ 34-6 win.

Victory kept Alan Low’s side four points clear of second-placed Old Centralians.

In Dorset & Wilts Two North, Supermarine claimed their fifth win from nine games with a battling 15-13 success away at Melksham 2nd.