THE disappointment was clear to see on the faces of the Basingstoke RFC players on Saturday afternoon at Down Grange, when their game against Thurrock was cancelled.

Their opponents got stuck in a traffic jam on the M25 after an accident which had closed the motorway at junction eight.

There was an air of expectancy around the place and the mood in the camp was very positive, despite their tough start to the season, which had seen them lose their opening three National Three London games.

Full-back Ash Paterson, like all at the club, remains upbeat about newly promoted Basingstoke’s chances of turning their season around.

He said: “It was disappointing not to play Thurrock as we really felt we had a chance to get the win, which we felt was going to kick-start our season.

“We knew it was going to be tough moving up a division and we have had a real baptism of fire as we have played three of the top sides so far.

“We can still take a lot of positives from the games as we have had good 20 and 30 minute periods in each of the last two games. Now it is a matter of turning that into 80 minutes.”

Looking at the season as a whole, Paterson added: “We know we are playing good sides each week at this level, but we feel as a team we can finish mid-table.

“This is a two year plan and we never started this season thinking we were going to go straight up, but we will hold our own this season.”

This weekend, ’Stoke are on the road to fourth-placed Bury St Edmunds, which looks set to be another stiff test for the visitors.