Newton Abbot 15 - 17 Taunton RFC

Taunton will not have been happy with their performance at Rackenhays but they will have been delighted with the two points they took back up the M5.

A win's a win, however ugly it may be.

Once again, Taunton had to cope with a number of changes. Four in the back division led to a disjointed performance far removed from the masterly effort produced against Clevedon the previous week.

Up front, Taunton skipper Pieter Tosen's lineout leaps stole half a dozen home throw-ins, the pack won a couple of the All Whites scrummages and driving mauls frequently gained huge yardage.

But then, mysteriously to the distant eye, Taunton seemed to lose possession in close contact or drop passes when trying to spread the ball wide; and first-up tackles were also missed.

Still, they did enough to win the game and move up to third in the table after Exmouth's narrow win at Torquay.

The Devonians opened the scoring on 10 minutes when Richard Hewitt landed a close range penalty - he missed one soon after as did Taunton's Alan Gill.

They stretched their lead on the half hour when a Garryowen was fumbled and the chasers put Will Banbury into the corner for an unconverted try.

Taunton got their act together five minutes before half time. After some slick handling, left and right, Ben Moon came at pace from deep to score under the posts. Gill converted.

Chris Phillips then made it two for the props when he barrelled over following a scrum on the home try line.

Mistakes by both sides scarred the third quarter which was scoreless and then Gill sliced through to give Taunton breathing space, but it was short lived.

Taunton were turned over in the Newton Abbot half whose fast young backs made it count. Banbury finished under the posts - his second try - Hewitt converted. Two points in it and a frantic finished loomed.

There were numerous scares at both ends before the final whistle. An overeager Phillips was yellow carded for handling in a ruck (?) and he watched anxiously from the sin bin as the penalty kick drifted wide of the right post.

14 man Taunton were camped in the home 22 as the game ended with Ben Hunt's drop goal attempt failing to convince the referee.

Phew! That was close

Bill Luckett