Preview – no fixture

In previewing the weekend’s home fixture against Darlington Mowden Park, I described Taunton Titans’ season as balanced on a knife’s edge. By beating their opponents from the North East, Tony Yapp’s men took a much firmer grip on the handle of that knife. Although they fell behind to an early try by Mowden, Titans forged ahead and established a healthy half-time lead.

Mowden, with their own National One status to protect, mounted a comeback after the break and took a 20-17 lead. Realising it was now or not at all, Somerset’s finest scored perhaps the most important two tries of their season to date. It brought a 35-26 win and five precious league points.

So, where does that leave Titans in their bid to secure their National One future?

Well, for the first time in months Taunton has climbed out of the relegation positions, leapfrogging Esher who lost at home to fellow strugglers Chinnor. Three teams will be relegated. Those three spots are currently occupied by Hull, Leeds and Esher. Hull have five games remaining but cannot mathematically reach safety. Leeds are 12 points adrift of Taunton and have six games left, a maximum of 30 points available to them. This Saturday Leeds travel to Chinnor who now lie five points ahead of Taunton with a game in hand.

Strikes and bad weather mean that the league is unfolding at various rates. Crucially, Taunton has played the same number of games as Esher. Both have four fixtures remaining. Taunton will next play away at Rams, the side from Reading who lead the division and are looking to secure promotion to the Championship. Then follow fourth-placed Rosslyn Park at home, an away trip to Birmingham Molesey who sit one place and two points above Titans and a final day date with Leeds Tykes at Veritas Park.

Birmingham Molesey have two games in hand over Titans and play one of those this coming Saturday, an away game at Hull that one must assume they will win because the Yorkshiremen have no wins and just one draw so far this campaign. The former Premiership team will also host Leeds as well as make visits to Plymouth and Sale. With six games left and three of those against teams below them, Birmingham Molesey will be confident of staying up.

Esher, meanwhile, like Taunton have just four games remaining. They will play two of those in the North East, at Hull and Darlington Mowden Park. Anything other than a win at Hull would be a turn up for the books, the game against Mowden is perhaps the biggest showdown of their season. Mowden will look upon it as their best chance of the one win that will secure their National One status whilst for Esher it could be their greatest chance of survival. The Surrey side does have two home fixtures left – against Rams and Bishop’s Stortford – both of which are tough propositions.

All in all, there are many variables left in this dramatic season – and good luck if you’ve managed to follow all the above – but now that they are two points ahead of Esher, for the first time in a long while Taunton hold their destiny in their own hands.

‍

This weekend we still have live rugby to enjoy at Veritas Park. The exciting young Warriors side will play their final league fixture at home Vs Wells RFC.

‍