STOW-on-the-Wold Rugby Club have an early chance to put down a marker in the Southern Counties North title race against Drifters on Saturday.

Both teams have collected nine league points from their opening two league outings and Stow will be hoping to make home advantage count at Oddington Road.

Henry Teare snapped up two tries as Stow demolished Bicester 37-0 in a one-sided affair last weekend despite having two men yellow-carded.

And Stow were delighted to come away from the encounter with a winning bonus point from having snapped up six tries.

A re-shuffled back line that included two forwards played their part in Stow’s dominant performance.

The Stow forwards had the upper hand in the loose but were matched in the tight.

Early pressure resulted in a George Roddan penalty but several good plays couldn’t quite be converted into points.

However, it was only a matter of time before Bicester had to crack because they struggled for possession and had to defend.

A lineout close to the Bicester line was secured and, when the drive came on, Craig Chapman scored an unconverted try.

For all Stow’s efforts, the visitors had to wait until their next score. A scrum centre-field in their own half was won, the back row broke and took play into the Bicester 22.

Chapman offloaded to Teare, who scored close to the posts leaving Roddan a simple conversion to help Stow into a 15-0 interval advantage.

Stow had the slope in their favour after the break and used it to their advantage.

Teare broke several tackles on a scything 40-metre run, offloaded to James Holmes who found George Plum to touch down.

Stow’s bonus point try came almost immediately, clever kicking form Dave Lane pinned Bicester back in their own 22.

And, from a five-metre scrum, the ball went blind to winger Tim Peachey for the touchdown in the corner.

Two more quick tries followed. A ball from a lineout went left and then switched right with James Holmes breaking through to score.

The final try came after the forwards rampaged towards the Bicester line and released Teare for his second score in front of the posts. Roddan converted.

Bicester camped in the Stow 22 and, despite two yellow cards, the visitors held out.