THURROCK returned to winning ways with a 31-10 victory against Barking.

The T’s were beaten 18-14 by Letchworth Garden City in their previous London One North encounter.

And their director of rugby Dean White was delighted by the response of his side.

“We performed very well at the weekend and are very pleased with the result,” he said.

“Our processes and management of the game were very good and we produced a great display in front of a massive crowd.

“I’m now hoping this will be a springboard for the rest of the season.

“Our home form has been great all year but we must now take this form on the road.”

The hard-fought win kept Thurrock fourth in the table and came with Tim Blundell grabbing 16 of their points.

Jake Barrand, Brad Retigan and Alex Jones also bagged tries.

But it was the work at the other end of the pitch that also pleased White.

“Our defence was outstanding at times,” said White.“Barking put us under a lot of pressure in both periods but the defensive line held firm.

“Our attack at times was also fantastic and we caused Barking a number of problems in the tight and out wide.

“Our 15 man rugby was on display and this really brought the crowd, which was the biggest I’ve seen for a long time, into the game.”

Adding to White’s delight, 16 of the 18 man squad also came through Thurrock’s youth system.

“It shows how strong our youth academy section is,” said White.

Saturday’s game also doubled up as an Essex Cup quarter-final, meaning Thurrock are now into the final four of the competition.