MARLOW RFC resumed normal service with a 17-5 victory over Royal Wootton Bassett on Saturday but life will get a lot tougher for them again tomorrow when they travel to joint leaders Stow-on-the-Wold.

Despite losing to High Wycombe, Stow are all level at the top with Aylesbury and Marlow on 15 points.

Marlow director of rugby Richard Kinsey said: “I don’t think this match will define the season at all.

“There is so much rugby still to be played and this isn’t a league where you have to watch everybody that closely.”

Results so far suggest that no side has yet stamped their authority on Southern Counties North, but Marlow would be top if they’d managed to snatch a bonus point last weekend.

Matt Saunders (2) and Sean Soloman gave them them three tries and they were deep in opposition territory pressing for a fourth when the referee blew the whistle a full five minutes early.

Kinsey said: “It was good to get a win after the Milton Keynes match, and it’s a shame we didn’t get the bonus point.

“We tried hard and had total dominance when the game was stopped early.

“But if that point hurts us at the end of the season I won’t blame the referee I’ll blame the players for losing to Milton Keynes.”