James Monks bagged a hat-trick of tries as Witney turned on the style to crush visitors Grove 44-0 in Southern Counties North.

Grove's forwards were below their usual standards as Witney's tight five really asserted themselves.

The hosts opened the scoring after five minutes when lock Owen Fowler, scrum half Gareth Campbell and flanker Will Worrall gave wing James room to power over.

Great hands from James Lamb released fellow centre Carl Strutt, who side-stepped the final defender for the second score, with fly half James Elwood converting.

It was no surprise when Witney scored again from a fine team move, which Monks finished for his second try.

Witney absorbed Grove's attacking close to the fringes and scored a fourth try through Henry Lamb.

Grove, who had several key players watching England at Twickenham, enjoyed their best spell after the break, but Witney's committed defence held firm.

Witney then pushed on with a 50-metre break from replacement fly half Joe Collins setting up the position for prop Rikki Dore to charge over.

Monks showed pace and power to complete his hat-trick by winning the race to Collins's clever grubber kick, with Henry Lamb converting.

An injury to James Lamb, with all the replacements used, saw Witney down to 14 men, but they still manged two more tries.

Flanker Tim Muller shrugged off a high tackle to notch No 7, while full back Johnny Wheater breached a stretched defence for the eighth.

Grove lock Zach Grant was stretchered off with a leg injury late on.

Gosford All Blacks fielded a severely weakened team for their 69-0 defeat at Phoenix in the BB&O Premier Division.

Phoenix led 43-0 at the break, but the youthful Gosford side showed plenty of spirit in the second half.

Replacements Marcus Stevens, Marc Grant and Keith Dunne helped the defensive effort, while flanker Jack Clarke and scrum half Tim Ellis had decent games.

OTHER SCORERS

BB&O Premier A: Chinnor 3rd 20, Witney 2nd 40 (tries C Benett, P Gouldie, B Rollinson, A Lamborne, S Copperwheat; cons Copperwheat 3; pens Copperwheat 3).

Friendly: Wheatley 2nd 19, Oxford Harlequins 4th 55 (tries R Walley 4, M Hoover, T Bell, B Cadwallader, R Telling, G Meredith; cons Telling 4, Meredith).