Banbury Bulls coach Grant Holmes cut a despondent figure late on Saturday afternoon as his side were totally outplayed in their opening league fixture of the new rugby season by a rampant Old Northamptonians.

The match was always billed as likely to be one of the toughest of the season with Old Northamptonians, like the Bulls being relegated from Midlands Two last year and just as determined to bounce straight back up.

Coach Holmes was quietly confident going into the match after seeing his side dominate their final pre season opponents and record a very good win the weekend before, but nothing could prepare him for what unfolded on Saturday.

“We just did not look like we were that interested in being out there, or perhaps we were a little complacent and expected things to fall our way. I’ve struggled to come to terms with the result, a 50 point demolition, as all summer we have worked extremely hard and always made it well known that we won’t get things our own way this season just because we have dropped down a league.”

Old Northamptonians came out of the blocks sprinting and at the 20 minute mark were more than a point a minute up at 22-0. The second quarter of the game was a more even contest as Banbury started to raise their game but by then it appeared that the game was already beyond them. A single penalty goal to O.N’s and two or three botched try scoring opportunities by the home side meant the visitors went into the break with a more than comfortable 25 point advantage.

The second half saw the visitors compile a further 25 points as time and again the defensive frailties of the home side were exposed, missing crucial first up tackles which allowed the visitors to gain easy yards and momentum deep into Banbury territory.

“Our first up tackling was extremely poor, it allowed their big runners to get in behind us and able to off load the ball to support runners who took the ball further into our territory,” said Holmes.

“The set piece area wasn’t good either, our scrums were not too bad but our line out failed to operate with any conviction.”

“Our whole performance lacked commitment and passion. It did not look like there were any of our lads on that pitch who really wanted to play rugby, they were by far hungrier than us and outplayed us in every facet of the game. We looked like startled rabbits in the headlights at times as they ran us ragged in the first 20 minutes.”

“We must pick ourselves up very quickly, we can not dwell on last weeks result for too long, we must learn from our mistakes and move forward with our focus being firmly on this weekends fixture.”

This weekend see’s the Bulls once again at home at Bodicote Park against league new boys Aylestone St James, kick off is 3pm.