Blues win with a touch of Love

One try enough to wrap up victory over Grove

JOSH Love scored the match-winning try as Newbury Blues ground out a 16-5 home win over Grove to take them into next week’s top of the table showdown on the artificial surface at Maidenhead.

Love’s touchdown put Blues 16-0 ahead after Nick Wackwitz had slotted over three kicks to give Blues A 9-0 interval lead, Grove scoring a late try that was not enough to salvage a bonus point.

Blues remain two points behind Maidenhead with Old Patesians another point away in top spot after their 47-26 and 421-7 home wins over Witney and Banbury respectively.

Thatcham were 11-8 winners at Gosford All Blacks to stand sixth in Southern Counties North, while Tadley went down 19-0 at Chesham in the Berks, Bucks and Oxon Premier Division and Hungerford lost 33-13 at home to Slough.

Newbury Stags beat Beaconsfield II 43-10 to secure promotion from Berks, Bucks and Oxon Division Two.