Taunton Titans 35 RAMS 41

With the half-time score Taunton 7 RAMS 24 it looked and seemed as though RAMS were cruising to a comfortable win if not a rout. Just the one try scored for Taunton by Noah Fenton on the 20-minute mark as opposed to the four scored by RAMS.  It was that penalty count yet again with 2 of the 4 tries scored by RAMS being from kicks to the corner from Taunton conceded penalties and a resultant lineout win and maul to score the points.  Even the last of the four which was scored by a RAMS centre was from a similar situation.

The second half was completely different and with just 6minutes of the half gone young Sam Leworthy went in for a try which Louis Sinclair converted.  Taunton were now just 10 points adrift and starting to dominate play.  That domination was rewarded when Noah Fenton after some superb build up play went in for his second of the afternoon.  Louis converted and now just 3 points in the game.  The crowd had a buzz about them and top of the table RAMS seemed under the cosh.  Then two more penalties conceded, two more lineouts, two more mauls, two more converted tries and suddenly Taunton are back where they started the half 17-points adrift. However up steps 18-year-old “man of the match” Noah Fenton to run rings around that RAMS defence and score his third try of the afternoon which Louis converted to give just a ten-point deficit.  Just 10 minutes to go with Taunton dominating surely, they could not win this game.  The crowd were buoyant and cheering loudly, the away support was a little quieter.  They erupted when prop Will Vaughn made a storming run and went over close to the posts but it was not to be as the RAMS defenders got under the ball and it was adjudged to be held up. Rams cleared their line and then Taunton conceded another penalty.  This time the lad from Bideford playing at 10 for RAMS kicked the points and extended the RAMS lead.  The last word came from Taunton when one-minute later Greg Kitson from Fullback was in support to score Taunton’s fifth try of the afternoon which again Louis converted taking Taunton to a converted try away from a win.  Even though Taunton pressed, RAM Sheld out and were glad to put the ball off the pitch for the final whistle. 

Taunton salvaged a losing and try bonus point and by this performance gave us tremendous hope for the future.

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