Taunton Warriors 40 Oldfield Old Boys 7

This convincing win took the Warriors to the top of the league when Chew Valley lost to Wells.  The 40-points scored gives the Warriors a total of 947-points for the season so far or an average of 63 points per game played.  They seem to have a simple game plan of score tries and defend extremely well trying to keep a clean sheet.  They have only conceded 161-points or an average of just 12 per game.  That clean sheet could have been the case in this game had Oldfield scrum half not intercepted astray pass with just 4 minutes gone and total Taunton dominance.  This was Oldfield’s only score of the game as the Warriors defence stood firm all afternoon.  It looked imminent for the Warriors as Oldfield had a very large pack, but the first scrum showed the ability of the Warriors scrum as against the head, the Warriors won the ball pushing back Oldfield a good5-metres.  Such was their scrum dominance.  It was 14-minutes before Toby Clinch broke down the Oldfield defence to score the first try which Ben Alvis stepped up to convert.  The second try came from Joe Elsworth, playing his first game of the season, who caught the ball, and drove up through the centre making a good 25 metres he laid the ball back and it was spun right for juggler Josh Guest to take the ball.  He took the ball behind his back, knocked it up, tried to catch it again but knocked it forward but managed to catch it and control the ball before using his strength to go over in the corner.  Kicking into the wind and from the touchline Ben Alvis converted. This was the last score of the half although several opportunities prevailed but for the last pass going astray.

Just 6-minutes into the second half and Tom Houghton-King went in for a well worked try which was not converted but the Warriors extended their lead to 12-points.  The ever present, and youngest player at just18, Charlie Way was causing mayhem with the Oldfield defence providing good quick ball for the backs resulting in Toby Clinch going in for his second try of the afternoon and the try bonus point score.  Ben Alvis added the extras.  The try came from Ollie Schuster-Wood bursting through the middle before going down and recycling the ball but in so doing the Oldfield prop sustained an eye injury and had to leave the field.  This resulted in uncontested scrums for the rest of the game and must have been quiet relief for the Oldfield scrum who had been overpowered at every previous scrum.  The try of the afternoon came on the 61^st minute when the Warriors demonstrated skill, support, strength, and pace.  Ben Alvis took the ball close to the left touchline, showed and skilfully gave a dummy, cutting inside and speeding away, Tom Houghton-King was in support to continue the move before passing to Ollie Brown whose pace took him outside his defender and with the last line of cover his strength took him over in the corner.  Ben Alvis who started the move added the icing to the cake by converting the try from next to the touchline.  The game had seen some tremendous drives and ball carrying by both second rows, Joe Elsworth and stand out Joe Atkins.  With two minutes of the game left, Joe was suitably rewarded when he burst from the front of the lineout to score in the corner.  With the last kick of the game Ben Alvis kicked his fifth conversion of the afternoon to take the Warriors points tally to 40.

This was a tough game, and the tenacity of the Warriors defence can only be applauded.  This will need to continue into their next game at Chew Valley, on 17^th February when a win would certainly help the Warriors promotion challenge.  It is close enough to get a good support from our faithful so please put the date in your diary and let’s get them promoted.

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