Taunton 37 – Clifton 25 (Match Report)

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Taunton produced their most convincing performance of the season when they needed it most with a 37-25 victory over Clifton at Hyde Park on Saturday.

The team received a welcome boost with the return of British Army second row Dave Bates from the International Defence Rugby Competition and the popular figure of former skipper Nick Burnett to help bolster the pack. Taunton’s very own Mr Incredible has been temporarily persuaded out of retirement, and it is clear he remains a favourite ally of players and supporters alike.

Unlike previous matches, it was Taunton who managed an early score with a well-taken Tom Popham try. Burnett found himself in the thick of the action from the outset and his break set up field position from which Joe Bartlett provided quick ball to Tony Yapp on the short side. Yapp fed Popham who cut back inside going over under the posts. Yapp slotted the conversion and Taunton had the lead within two minutes.

Clifton settled into the game and when the Taunton defence were penalised for not rolling away from the tackle they had the opportunity to open their account with a penalty. Gareth Knox stepped up but his effort did not trouble the scoreboard as it drifted wide.

In mirrored fashion a similar offence at the breakdown by the Clifton defence at the other end of the field was penalised giving Yapp the opportunity to extend the lead for the home side. Just like his opposite number he watched his penalty kick drift narrowly wide.

The visitors opened their account when their inside centre Will Pomphrey got the better of the Taunton defence to score, pulling five points back. Knox stepped up but again watched his kick fail.

Taunton responded when another penalty at the breakdown was awarded in their favour. It was kickable and Yapp stepped up adding another three points extending the home side’s lead.

The home support was treated to the sublime side of Taunton rugby with two converted scores that would easily grace the field at any level. It was normal service resumed for the first with Reuben Haile making a break from within his own half and powering his way through the defenders to find his way over the whitewash once more. Yapp added the extras with the simple conversion in front of the posts.

The second followed less than five minutes later when Sam Prior made good ground with another strong carry and Jon Gatford again on his shoulder in support. The supporting forwards ensured clean ball was there for Bartlett and the youngster fed Yapp to present the show-and-go which wrong footed the covering Clifton defence. This allowed him to shimmy his way over the line and he made sure it was a maximum seven points with the conversion.

Two minutes later another penalty for not rolling away at the breakdown was awarded but this time it was Ben Roberts who stepped up and was able to pull three points back for Clifton.

Yapp replied with another successful penalty of his own, once again the offence was committed at the breakdown, and had the chance to add another but was wide. After a commanding first half performance the home side went in with a 27-8 lead at the break.

The start of the second half could have been a Halloween nightmare for Taunton when Clifton’s mobile prop Will Davis found some space with the ball in hand and showed the agility and guile of a back to score wide out on the left. Roberts added the extras to reduce the deficit barely a minute after the restart.

Roberts pulled another three points back five minutes later following another penalty at the breakdown. The match official had enough of persistent team technical offences and showed a yellow card to the hard working Burnett.

Clifton exploited their numerical advantage with Knox finishing of a patient and well-worked score, which Roberts converted. Suddenly the visitors were only two points in arrears and appeared to have taken the ascendancy.

The pivotal moment of the match came only minutes later when another Taunton infringement saw a penalty awarded to Clifton. It looked like it was in a comfortably kickable position and if converted would have given the visitors the lead for the first time of the afternoon with just over a quarter of the match still to play. However, they opted for the kick to the corner and the resultant line out coincided with the reintroduction of Burnett from the sin-bin and Clifton would rue their decision.

Once again the hard working back row of Sean Fox, Dean Taylor-Menzies and Liam Wilkinson were prominent and, supported by Burnett and Bates in the engine room, caused the visitors problems in and around the breakdown. Bartlett’s slick distribution provided his half back partner Yapp the time and space to control the game and Gary Kingdom marshalled the defence well from the back.

Taunton plugged away at the visiting defence and sensed that their patience would pay off. They were rewarded when Clifton’s frustrations at being in touch but unable to unpick the defence resulted in scrum half Matt Britton being shown a yellow card after persistent offside. Yapp stepped up to slot the penalty with fifteen minutes left to play.

With time running out the bonus point win was secured in the last five minutes when replacement Sam Blanchett finished off a finely worked team try. Yapp converted and there was not enough time for the visitors to claim a losing bonus point. The final score 37-25.

It was a much better all round performance matched with the all-important and much needed result. The bonus point win, combined with denying their guests a losing bonus point, sees Taunton leapfrog Clifton in the league table, taking them back out of the dreaded bottom three. It was a real confidence booster, and hopefully the catalyst to kick on from, starting with the trip to Redruth next weekend.

The County Stores sponsored man of the match for Taunton was Liam Wilkinson.