The Thames Valley Swamp Foxes were taken down by Wairarapa Bush 36-9 during their opening match of the Heartland Championship season in Paeroa on Saturday.

Swamp Foxes coach Hayden Roe says it's not the start the team wanted for the season and they have a few areas to work on ahead of their next match against Poverty Bay this coming Sunday.

Speaking to Fairfax, Swamp Foxes coach Hayden Roe says his team failed to do the basics and Waiarapa Bush took full advantage.

Thames Valley came up against a good Wairarapa Bush team, but were undone by made far too many basic errors.

'We were very average to be fair,” says Roe. 'The big thing for us was our tackle technique. We fell off tackles, there was plenty of shirt grabbing out there, and we basically gave their forwards the gain line.

'They're all things we can fix in the coming week, so hopefully we'll have it sorted for next week against Poverty Bay. It doesn't get any easier.”

Now into its 10th year, the annual domestic rugby competition started off with a roar and was the highest scoring opening round in the competition's history.

A total of 329 points were amassed by Heartland sides over the weekend, and topped the 327 points scored in the opening round of the inaugural season in 2006.

The Thames Valley Swamp Foxes take on Poverty Bay in Gisborne on Sunday, August 29. Kick off at 2.30pm.