SAM Ridley is confident Basildon Rugby Club will be able to build on their first win of the season.

Basildon - who won London Three Essex last term - have found life in London Two North East tough going so far.

But, after seven successive defeats, Basildon beat Southwold 52-24 last time out.

And fly-half Ridley is keen to make that victory a sign of things to come.

“Winning just brings back that bit of confidence,” said Ridley.

“You begin to remember what winning feels like and what you have to do to get the result you want.

“I thought we performed really well against Southwold too.

“It was a convincing win against a good side.

“We didn’t give them the room to play, we attacked well and came away with the points that we needed.”

Despite the victory, Basildon remain bottom of the table.

And Ridley has been disappointed with the season so far.

“We can’t deny that it’s not been the start that we would have liked,” said Ridley.

“You have to be careful that losing doesn’t become a habit because it can be a very difficult place to get out of.

“It’s been frustrating to say the least but hopefully we’re on our way to turning those results round and getting a few wins before the Christmas break.”

Basildon sit six points behind second from bottom Cantabrigian.

But Ridley does not feel London Two North East has been much of a step up from the level Basildon were playing last season.

“The step up isn’t too big if I’m honest,” said Ridley.

“With the exception of the result against Saffron Walden we’ve not been too far off teams.

“It’s just a case of us bonding as a team, making sure we play our game plan, managing the game and being efficient in what we do.

“I see no reason why we shouldn’t be playing in this league and I don’t think we’re a million miles away from putting in some good performances.”

Ridley will be hoping that is the case at eighth placed Ipswich this weekend. But he is not sure what to expect against the Suffolk side.

“It’s been a few years since we’ve played against them so it’s very similar to playing many of the teams in this league, you’re never too sure what to expect” said Ridley.

“It’s a case of not focusing too much on them, doing the basics well, being defensively strong and trying to convert possession into points.”