Taunton v Bournville

Saturdays match saw the return of Nick Mason and the difference he made in the centre specifically and to the game in general earned him the “Man of the Match” award.  This was a hard-fought game and the Titans made it harder for themselves in having to play for over a quarter of the match with only 14 players.  Three yellow cards for technical infringements, two of which were in the front row, caused immense disruption to the Titans scrummage, allowing the much larger and heavier Bournville pack to gain an advantage.  This tested the Titans defence which acquitted itself with great admiration and especially Will Vaughan who seemed to stop everything around the fringes with some outstanding tackling.

The Titans started well and from a kick to the corner, won the lineout and mauled towards the Bournville line. The maul stopped and from the resultant ruck and with just 4 minutes on the clock Ratu Vakalutukali(Toots) went in for the try.  Lucas Yapp missed the conversion but the Titans had a five-point lead.  Just 6-minutes later second row Harry Wright burst through the centre and from the opposition 10-metre line showed the pace of a winger to score the try.  The conversion was missed but the Titans now had a ten-point lead.  It took Bournville twenty-minutes to get past the Titans ten-metre line but they eventually camped upon the Titans line and using their size and weight really tested the Titans defence.  That defence held firm and gradually the Titans fought back into the Bournville half.  Bournville then changed their tactics and hoisted some high ball into the Titans half.  This showed the bravery and commitment of Lucas Yapp, playing at fullback.  He never took his eyes off of the ball and dominated the ariel battle to claim the ball.  If possession and territory won matches the Titans should have had a large lead but a combination of good defence by Bournville and the Titans conceding so many penalties allowed Bournville to weather the storm until the 34^th minute.  It was then that the Titan’s other second row Sam Leworthy took a ball, made a half-break before passing on to Joe Snow who was able to pass on to centre Jermaine Jones who burst through to score a superb try which Reece converted to give the Titans a 17-point lead.  The Titans still attacked but Bournville held out leaving the Titans ahead by 17-points at the halftime break.

From their kick off, Bournville started to attack the Titans line using their size and weight to good advantage.  We then saw the vagaries of the front row going down yet again and with the decision for the fault being a bit of a lottery, the Titans did not seem to have the winning numbers.  Having been unable to break the Titans defence Bournville now opted to convert the penalty and so with just 4-minutes of the second half gone Bournville had three-points on the board.  52-minutes a front row yellow card, this resulted in Charlie Wright going off as well as the yellow card offender to make way for a front row replacement to come on.  Two loose head props in the front row but they held on.  The biggest miss was Charlie Wright not mopping up those overlaps that could be created with the Bournville extra man but the Titans held out.  The ten-minute sin bin over and the Titans have weathered the storm.  30 seconds later and yellow number two for a different front row.  Charlie having just come back has to go off again to allow for a different front row to come back and this brought the introduction of Harry Beasley for his first Titans appearance.  Harry had been playing well for the Warriors.  It seemed inevitable that having the extra player the Titans would eventually concede a score which they did on 64 minutes with a converted try.  The Titans pressed from the re-start and were awarded a penalty which Louis Sinclair converted extending the Titans lead.  This also saw the introduction of Jay Toogood who on 77-minutes had one of his trademark snipes around the base of the ruck, Handed on to Louis who ran at the gap committing the two defenders.  He then skilfully passed behind the back of the outside defender and by so doing created space for Rocky Prowse to streak away and score under the posts.  Louis successfully converted and with just three-minutes to go, the game must now be safe.  From the re-start Bournville win the ball and score the try which was converted.  Taunton have their third yellow card of the afternoon. The Clock is on eighty-minutes.  The referee who has his clock which is the one the game is played by re-starts the game and Bournville with a spring in their step attack.  The Titans give away another penalty making 21 conceded for the game, and Bournville convert to give them a losing bonus point.

Full credit to the Titans players who showed character and an ability to win no matter what is thrown at them, giving five points from the game and confidence for their next encounter away to Exeter University this coming Saturday.  This coming Saturday also brings the Warriors to Veritas Park for their first home game of the season.  Their opposition is Nailsea and Backwell who come, from the best information I have, for the first time to Veritas Park.  It will be a tough game and the club would welcome as many of you as possible to this game.  Spectators with season tickets will have free entry for the game and carpark as well.  For others there is a £5entry fee. Well worth the money for the standard of rugby you will see.

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