Round 19 Preview: Rosslyn Park vs Taunton Titans

This was what the doctor ordered. A huge, runaway, bonus point win for Titans over a team comfortably lodged in the upper reaches of the National League One table. In beating Sedgley Park 49-14 on the visitors’ first ever visit to Taunton, the Titans also registered the division’s highest tally of the weekend. The work the Titans squad has been putting in with Jacques Vermeulen on defence certainly began to bear fruit. The players looked most dejected to concede a second try on the final whistle, having held firm for so much of the game. Mr Vermeulen will have been as pleased to hear about the against score line as the Titans’ win when he came off the pitch at Sandy Park. He was joined amongst the replacements for Exeter’s friendly against Scarlets by Louie Sinclair, the Titans fly-half replacing former Veritas Park favourite Iwan Jenkins for the final twelve minutes and kicking a conversion. Sinclair’s absence from league rugby duty contributed to a headache for Titans’ coach Tony Yapp, exacerbated on game day when Frankie Dart called in sick.

Stand up Dan Martin. The Ulsterman usually plays inside centre, was named on Friday at fullback and arrived from his Saturday morning lessons at Millfield School to play at fly half. He took charge of the game, exploiting gaps in the Northerners’ backfield with short and long range kicks, and creating openings for the strength and pace of Jeremy Tuima, Deago Bailey and Shai Bonnick with his quick disposition in passing.

Results elsewhere contributed to this being perhaps the best weekend of the season for Titans. Bishop’s Stortford were stymied 14-26 at home against Rams and slip below Taunton into bottom spot. Cinderford also had a home defeat, 18-30 to Blackheath which leaves the Gloucestershire side just one point above Titans. Leicester Lions remain within reach after going down 10-20 at home to Birmingham Moseley. One place higher is Sale FC who did record a win – and a bonus point one for that matter – at Heywood Road but we can’t begrudge them that as it was over our West Country rivals Plymouth Albion. Darlington Mowden Park have hit form of late and they also snared a bonus point, beating Richmond34-22 at the Northern Echo Arena. Richmond look secure, however, on 49 league points with a gap of 8 points between them and 9^th placed Blackheath. Chinnor maintained their lead in the division on Friday night with a 31-10 bonus point triumph over Rosslyn Park, Titans’ opponents this coming Saturday.

Once thought to have been something of a bogey opposition for Taunton, when Rosslyn Park came to the West Country in October they were met by a Titans side on top of their form. Noah Fenton and Louie Sinclair were to the fore as Taunton won 40-17.

One of club rugby’s grand old names, Rosslyn Park was founded in 1879 by club cricketers who played in the grounds of Rosslyn House in Hampstead. After playing at various London venues, in the 1950s they moved from Richmond’s Old Deer Park to The Rock in Priory Lane, Roehampton.

When professional rugby arrived, Rosslyn Park were in National League 2 but were champions in that first season and promoted to the English Premiership for season 1997-98. Their stay in the top flight lasted four seasons, since when they have played mostly in the second and third tiers of English rugby with their current tenure in National League One lasting twelve seasons. They have finished third or fourth in each of the last three editions and currently sit in sixth place.

Rosslyn Park Director of Sport, Kieran Power, and Lead Coach, Steve Neville, have enviable resources available to them with no fewer than 12 support staff listed on their books. Amongst them is Declan Danaher, who played for and coached London Irish but is now in charge of Rosslyn Park’s defence. Their playing squad includes former Harlequins winger Charlie Walker who has been on impressive try-scoring form and is only two behind league leader Noah Fenton’s tally of 19 for the season. Luc Smith, younger brother of Harlequins and England’s Marcus, plays at fly half for Park.

League-leading Warriors travel to their closest challengers, Chew Valley II, in a top-of-the-table clash in Counties Tribute Two Somerset. If you can’t make it to London to support Titans, why not head up to Chew Stoke to follow Brett Harvey and John Wrelton’s Warriors?

At Rosslyn Park, this Saturday’s pre-match meal at The Rock is in honour of Kojo Jecty. Kojo was Team Manager of Rosslyn Park through thick and thin for 26 years before stepping down in December. A lunch and match ticket combination costs £40 (which really does underline the terrific value of the magnificent carvery at Veritas Park), cori.poole@rosslynpark.co.ukis the person to contact for seating and dietary requirements. Entrance to The Rock is £14.50 per adult whilst concessions and students are £12. Tickets and lunch can be booked through the club website. Gates open at 12 noon and kick-off is at 3pm.

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