Wootton Bassett 1st returned to winning ways on Saturday with a 34-0 thumping of visitors Bradford on Avon in the Southern Counties South league.

In very wet and windy conditions Bassett kept the ball tight and used their superior forward power to out muscle their younger and lighter opponents.

With only five minutes of the game gone centre Mike Dixon joined the rear of a driving maul and snatched the ball to dive over the line wide out.

With the conditions worsening the home side decided not to try an open running game and kept it in their dominating forwards.

On the quarter of an hour mark, big Frenchman second row Flo Vialan found himself at the back of another driving maul and powered over from close range.

With the bad conditions winger Lee Davies was unable to add the conversions for both of these first tries.

With 10 minutes remaining of the first period Frenchman Vialan again grabbed the ball from a five metre line out and bulldozed himself over to notch up his second. Davies added the extra two to put Bassett ahead 17 - 0 at the half time whistle.

Bassett started the second half as they finished the first with the pack securing ample ball for the speedy backs to move up the field.

It was from one of these back moves that saw flying full back Jack Ricketts latch onto a pass and sprint 35 metres into the corner, Davies missing the conversion.

Just over 10 minutes later it was Vialan again at the back of Bassett's driving maul that had haunted Bradford all afternoon who crossed the line to complete his hat-trick. The game was now out of reach of the visitors and they never looked close to crossing the Bassett line, it was not over for Wootton Bassett as in the dying seconds of the game young flyhalf Nick Parker picked up a loose Bradford pass and ran in untouched under the posts to give Davies the easy conversion.

This 34-0 victory puts Bassett back into joint second in the league, trailing leaders Frome by two points.

This Tuesday sees the return of Gloucester prop Andy Deacon to Stoneover Lane when he will be putting the Bassett forwards through their paces and sharing his experience with scrummage and mauling drills.

The session will begin at 7pm and all players are asked to attend.