West Country Wills Match Preview Round 1 Loughborough Students vs Taunton Titans

After showing many positive signs in pre-season, Taunton Titans begin their National League 2 West season this Saturday with perhaps the longest journey of the season. It’s an away trip to Loughborough in Leicestershire to taken on the traditionally strong university. Some might wonder how Loughborough could possibly qualify for the West division but that is somebody else’s problem. The fact is that they – and Leicestershire neighbours Hinckley – will be opponents this season and thus must be played home and away.

Taunton Head Coach, Tony Yapp, won’t have been worrying about geography. He and his co-coaches will have been focused very much on the job in hand and planning for the opposition. In that respect there are a couple of spies in the camp, both Dan Martin and his fellow Ulsterman Reece Malone, came to the South-West from Loughborough Students so they will be familiar with both the personnel and the game plans. It will help also that Titans’ new Forwards Coach, Damian Welch, was Head Coach of Exeter University in the same division last term and will have shared his knowledge of the various opponents.

Anybody who has spent time at Veritas Park over the summer will have noticed the buoyant and positive atmosphere. Following relegation, it could have been very easy for heads to have dropped and for players to have left en masse. That hasn’t happened, though a few have moved on to play in a higher league, the vast majority have signed back on and to their number have been added some very exciting talents.

Representing Loughborough University in their traditional purple strip, the students who play in National League Two West are effectively the second string, with their first XV playing midweek fixtures in the prestigious BUCS league which Loughborough has won more than any other institution. Last season they finished solidly in mid-table in National 2, in 8^thplace.

The roll call of alumni who have achieved international honours is lengthy. Loughborough University began playing rugby in 1919 and has produced many legends of the sport including Fran Cotton, Sir Clive Woodward, Ben Kay, Gerald Davies and Sarah Hunter. The ground, Loughborough University Stadium holds 3,000 and is also home to Loughborough Lightning in the Premier XVs women’s competition.

Kick-off is at 2pm. Cost of entry for the game is £10 for adults and £7.50 concession (65+, under 18, non-Loughborough Uni / College students). Under 5s are free. If any supporters would like to join for the formal pre-match lunch please note they will need to book via the following link Loughborough Students Rugby vs Taunton (07/09/24) no later than Wednesday at 1.00pm

How to find the ground:

The Loughborough University Campus post code is LE11 3TT and car drivers should use the Epinal Way entrance where there is plenty of free parking near to the pitch.

Taunton resident and rugby lover, Richard Kitzinger writes content for Taunton RFC’s club website and match-day programmes. His day job is writing Wills and Lasting Powers of Attorney - he can be found at www.westcountrywills.co.uk or reached on 07504 991893.

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