Titans Vs Sale

An opportunist interception try was all that separated these two teams and had the pass have gone to hand instead of the interception it would have left the pathway open for a Taunton try.  After the game, the Sale Officials stated that they could not understand how Taunton were lingering towards the bottom of the table as they believed this was one of the most testing encounters, they had had all season.

Taunton were on the scoreboard after only 2 minutes when exciting wing Immanuel Feyi-Warbosa left the Sale defence groping at shadows to race through, to then chip kick the two remaining defenders, win the foot race and give a controlled tap forward towards the Sale line.  The defenders who were thwarting Immanuel to prevent him scoring could not prevent Harry Wright, who was in support from scoring the try.  George Worboys kicked the conversion and Taunton had a 7-point lead.  Sale then turned the screw and for the next 21 minutes Taunton were pinned in their own half.  They gave away penalties and Sale continued to kick to touch and set up the rolling maul from the lineout.  The first Taunton forwards turned over and a kick to touch to clear their line.  Similar with the second, the third the Taunton defence was so good that Sale were penalised, and the line was cleared with the fourth again Taunton turned the ball over and won a scrum to clear their line again but on 24 minutes and one to many penalties given away, Sale from a rolling maul to scored, the try converted and the scores level. What a difference a week makes and how immense was “man of the match” Charlie Rice in not only winning the Taunton lineout but also some of the Sale lineouts.  The mobility of the Taunton back row and their defence was immense as was the mobility and strength of the front 5 who not only in attack but also in defence, they held nothing back in driving at Sale.  With the scores level Taunton were able to gain more possession and territory in the second quarter of the game and Immanuel made one of his trademark breaks only to be stopped for the second successive week with a high tackle.  The penalty was no reward for what could have been the result and whilst Immanuel tried to carry on, he had to be replaced.  It was completely against the run of play and with 40 minutes on the clock that Sale was awarded a penalty which they kicked to the Taunton corner and from the lineout set up the rolling maul to score a converted try giving a halftime score of Taunton 7 Sale 14.

The second half was a reversal of the first in that Taunton had the possession and the territory but with 9 minutes of the second half gone a long pass was sent in the centre which the Sale wing had anticipated, he intercepted and ran in for the touch down which was not converted so Sale had a12-point lead.  Having committed himself the Sale wing had left wide open spaces and had the move worked Taunton would have been congratulated upon their vision.  Taunton then threw everything at Sale, and it was now them giving away penalties which on 26 minutes of the second half gone it was Taunton who were rewarded from a rolling maul when Charlie Wright went in for the try which George Worboys converted.  With 14 minutes left Taunton pressed and with only three minutes left Taunton were rewarded with a penalty close to Sale line and they opted to take the scrum.  Taunton had been winning the battle of the scrums and it seemed good sense.  They won the ball and were driving forward towards the line.  The front rows go up and the referee adjudges that it was Taunton at fault and penalises them.  This allows Sale to clear their line and to close out the game for the last 2 minutes.

This game showed a tremendous passion for the Taunton team and how they worked for each other.  It also showed versatility as when Immanuel went off Jay Toogood, a scrum half came on to the wing and worked very hard.  When he went into scrum half Jordan Petherbridge went on to the wing until he got injured.  It was then the ever-reliable Charlie Wright who filled the spot showing his pace and versatility.  If the team can continue with that sort of form, then the match this coming weekend at Cinderford is well winnable.

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