Luctonians v Titans

Like so many games for the Titans it has been "fine margins which have decided the outcomes and whilst supporters and players alike left with some disappointment, we also appreciated just how close this game was with some outstanding performances from the whole team.

Within the first minute Scott Gibson had made a break down the blind side next to the stand and with just the fullback to beat he had to decide whether to use his pace or chip over the top.  He chose the latter and was marginally beaten to the race for the ball. From the goal line drop out the Titans continued the attack and it was ten-minutes before Luctonians had any possession.  The Titans showed their ability in defence and had to as they were challenged at both the scrum and the lineout.  Luctonians realising the ferocity of the Titans tackling and defence used the kicking game recognising that they had a good chance of winning the lineout.  On fourteen minutes Luctonians kicked and Reece Malone who had an outstanding game raced down the touchline, he broke the defending tackle and with one man to beat he passes to Matt Whitlock in support, who scored the try which Tom Putt converted.  Luctonians in their desperate defence were conceding penalties and on twenty-one minutes Tom went for an attempt at goal, it had the distance put shaved just wide of the left handpost.  He tried again just five-minutes later and just failed.  On twenty-seven-minutes the Titans conceded their only penalty of the first half together with a yellow card.  In the loose the Titans pack were dominant but, in the scrum, they were challenged so with just five-minutes of the half left and a rare visit to the Titans twenty-two Luctonians dominated the depleted scrum won the ball with a pick-up and Ben Rogers made a superb tackle on their number eight.  They recycled the ball and Luctonians scrumhalf Jonty Monk went in for the try. With the conversion missed the Titans held a slender two-point lead up to the halftime break.

Within the first minute of the re-start for the second half, Ben Rogers received the ball close to the halfway line, he stepped through the tackle and accelerated away beating the last line of defence to score an exciting solo effort try.  Tom converted and the Titans had a nine-point lead.  The pack who were dominant in the loose were now settled and starting to put pressure on the Luctonians pack in the tight.  The Titans discipline was good and conceded only three penalties in the second half however it was from a conceded penalty that Luctonians scored their second try.  They kicked to the corner and won the lineout, where they were dominant, and mauled to the line but good defence by the Titans stopped them short but after seven pick and drives they eventually went in for the converted try to reduce their deficit to just two-points.  Whilst the Titans had most of the possessionand territory they succumbed to  a break by the Luctonians left wing who scored the try on fifty-two -minutes to take Luctonians in front for the first time in the game giving them a five-point lead.  It was fine margins and with Luctonians conceding penalties the Titans were pinning them back in their own half.  It was another break from their right wing which saw perhaps the tackle of the match when Scott Gibson chased the wing who was clear and stopped him from scoring a certain try.  The Titans re-grouped and worked their way back towards the Luctonians line  with Reece Malone scoring the try to level the scores with just thirteen-minutes left to go.  Tom Putt missed the kick from wide out.  The final score came on the eighty-minute mark where Luctonians threw caution to the wind allowing their left wing to break free.   A fantastic tackle from Matt Whitlock brought him down short of the line but Luctonians after a series of pick and drives scored the try which was converted to give them the win.

This was a fantastic game of rugby and deemed by Luctonians as the hardest game of the season so far.  There were too many outstanding performances to single out one player but great credit must go to Alex Spurdle who on his 200^th appearance which one of those outstanding performances.  Another long trip to Hinkley this week and with confidence high from this game we look for the fine margins to be deeper and in favour of these exciting Titans.

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