OXFORDSHIRE are eyeing improvements ahead of their second Bill Beaumont County Championship fixture.

North Midlands are the next opponents at Horspath Sports Ground tomorrow as they look to strengthen their bid to top Pool 1 and reach the Division 3 final.

Oxon needed a gritty display to beat Nottinghamshire, Lincolnshire & Derbyshire 19-12 last weekend.

And head coach Matt Goode, who will once again be absent, is expecting his side to find another gear in their second fixture.

He said: “I think we’re happy with where we are.

“By the sounds of it, we butchered a few chances which we will look at, but we’re pleased with the way we defended.

“That shows signs of a side that has got desire.

“We just need to tweak a few things in attack.”

Prop Pete Boulton is expected to miss the rest of the campaign after suffering a knee injury last Saturday.

Oxon will also be without Ian Stock, Freddie Myatt, Evan Davies and Joe Mills through unavailability.

However, captain Tom Hall, Tom Emery, Tom Price, Sam Portland, Tommy Gray, Allan Purchase, Guy Fairburn, Archie van Dijk and Tom Strathdee are available for selection.

Oxon: from Brady, Deacon, Emery, Fairburn, Gray, Hall, Hyde, Janes, Jeffreys, Leese, Marris, Marshall, Neal, Norman, Pietersen, Portland, Price, Primett, Purchase, Strathdee, van Dijk, Webb, White, Winnington-Ingram.