Taunton Titans 59 Lymm 12

Whilst Jan Davison was quite rightly named Man of the Match, there were several other strong contenders for the award. Every member of the Titans squad delivered an outstanding performance, combining commitment, skill and attacking ambition to provide a crowd of almost 700 with an exciting afternoon of expansive rugby.

From the opening kick-off, the Titans showed their intent. They almost secured the ball to launch an immediate attack, only to knock on and concede a scrum to Lymm. However, the first scrum set the tone for the afternoon, as the Titans drove their opponents backwards and won the ball against the head.

Moving the ball quickly out to the right wing, Taunton were brought down just short of the line. Excellent support play and quick recycling followed, allowing Freddie Elliott to join the attacking line and score the opening try after just four minutes. Tom Putt added the conversion to give the Titans a 7–0 lead.

The home side dominated possession and the forward battle during the opening quarter, although Lymm demonstrated their threat whenever they had the ball. Only some outstanding tackling and determined defence prevented the visitors from getting on the scoreboard.

At one stage, Lymm were camped on the Titans’ line, but Taunton turned defence into attack with some superb running from their backs, carrying play all the way into Lymm territory. From a ruck close to the touchline in front of the stands, a series of powerful pick-and-drives ended with James Burgoyne crossing for the Titans’ second try. Putt again converted.

Just four minutes later, the Titans struck again. From a scrum, number eight Alfie Johns picked up the ball, shrugged off several attempted tackles and used his strength and pace to race over the line. Putt added the extras, extending Taunton’s advantage to 21–0.

Lymm continued to threaten, but Tom Putt produced an outstanding tackle to halt one promising attack, while Jack Gadd was repeatedly on hand to prevent the visitors from breaking through. The Titans went into half-time with a comfortable 21-point lead, having kept Lymm scoreless despite their moments of pressure.

Titans turn up the pace after the break

Lymm kicked off the second half, but the Titans secured the ball and drove straight back into opposition territory. From a maul, loose-head prop Ollie Schuster-Wood, who celebrated his 50th appearance for the club, broke away and showing the pace of a winger, outstripped the defence to score Taunton’s bonus-point try. Putt converted.

The Titans continued to turn their dominance into points, and just five minutes later Ben Parsons raced away to score another try, which Putt again converted to make it 35–0.

Lymm responded positively. Following a penalty, the visitors kicked to the corner, won the lineout and drove forward in a powerful maul. Hooker James Pitcher finished the move by scoring, with the conversion taking Lymm’s tally to seven points.

The Titans quickly restored their attacking momentum. An interception on the right wing allowed Parsons to race over for his second try of the afternoon. Putt was unable to add the conversion and soon left the field, prompting a reshuffle in the backline, with Connor Vickery moving from centre to fly-half.

As the Titans adjusted, Lymm centre Andrew Williams found a gap to score for the visitors. However, Taunton had another memorable moment in store.

From the restart, Lymm secured possession and launched a high kick, hoping to use the pace of their outside backs to chase the ball. Titans full-back Freddie Elliott called confidently for it, kept his eyes fixed on the ball and rose under intense pressure to claim possession. He then escaped the attempted tackles, swerved around the next line of defence and accelerated away from the opposition to complete a superb individual try. With Putt off the field, Vickery stepped up to land the conversion.

With ten minutes remaining, the Titans were back on the attack. A penalty gave them the opportunity to kick to the corner, and after winning the lineout, they drove towards the line in another effective maul. Ben Oliphant-Thompson emerged with the try to extend Taunton’s lead.

The final try of the afternoon belonged to centre Henry Batty. Having impressed throughout with his defensive work, Batty demonstrated his all-round ability by breaking through the Lymm defence and racing over the line. Vickery added the conversion to complete a convincing 59–12 victory, with the Titans scoring nine tries.

An outstanding all-round performance

This was an impressive demonstration of fast, attacking rugby from a young Titans side determined to move forward at every opportunity. The forwards were outstanding in the scrum and showed tremendous fitness in getting to the breakdown, while the pace and movement of the backs caused Lymm problems throughout.

Tom Putt’s game management was excellent, helping Taunton control the contest and make the most of their attacking opportunities. Although Jan Davison deservedly received the Man of the Match award, the performance was very much a team effort, with contributions across the pitch.

Full credit must also go to Lymm, who showed considerable potential and continued to compete despite the scoreline. It took some outstanding defensive work from the entire Titans side to keep the visitors to just two tries.

Looking ahead

The Titans are on the road again next week, making the long journey to Leicestershire to face Hinckley, who currently sit third in the table. We wish the team well as they look to build on another impressive performance.

The next weekend of senior rugby at Summerfield Stadium is scheduled for 30 and 31 October, when Taunton Warriors take on Clevedon under the lights on Friday evening, followed by the Titans’ match against Cinderford on Saturday.

We look forward to welcoming supporters back to Summerfield for both fixtures.

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