Sat 2 Apr 2016
Tribute Somerset Premier
Taunton 2ndXV 34 Weston United 47
Weston went into this game looking to come away with the maximum five points to keep up the pressure on third placed Stothert & Pitt and for the neutral this was a fine match between two local adversaries who shared twelve tries on a fine afternoon of flowing rugby.
It was clear from the early scrums that Weston would dominate this area as their pack shunted Taunton backwards repeatedly. It was from a scrum that Weston were awarded a free kick which they tapped quickly allowing fly half Loz Ware to make a fine break and then pop back inside to the supporting Ollie Caton to score. George Chapman added the conversion.
Soon after this score Weston were awarded a penalty near the Taunton line and opted for a scrum. They were awarded another free kick due to a Taunton infringement and the quick thinking Chapman took a quick tap and burrowed over the line and then added the extras.
Taunton then scored their only try of the half as their pacey winger scooted around the Weston defence for a fine try.
Weston then went back on the attack and following a great break by Robbie Mackay, the ball was recycled after several phases to allow colt second row Sam Light to crash over from close range, the conversion again added by Chapman.
Taunton then dropped a goal following a rare visit into the Weston half.
Weston secured the four try bonus point on the stroke of half time as the powerful Weston pack pushed Taunton back over the try line for colt number eight Tom Sugg to dab down. Chapman added the extras and Weston led at half time 8-28.
Weston started the second half with a good urgency. Sugg carried well up field for the ball to be popped to replacement Sam Fisher who made several yards before offloading to the hard working Mackay to increase the lead out wide.
The next fifteen minutes was a strange part in the match which saw Taunton score two tries due to some very poor attempted tackles by the Weston players. This was then followed by a large scuffle on the far side of the pitch where the home sides number eight got carried away in the glorious sunshine and decided to pick on veteran winger Paul Sprague for no apparent reason......once all had got that out of their system we got back to playing rugby.
Following a driving maul, Loz Ware made another fine individual break beating several defenders before passing to Caton to score his second of the match which Chapman converted.
The seventh and final Weston try was one for the pack as the surging Weston scrum was too much for Taunton to hold and the referee correctly awarded the penalty try that Chapman converted.
In the last eight minutes of the game Weston went to sleep and gifted Taunton two converted tries to make the scoreline look closer than what the match actually was.
This was a match that Weston never looked like losing. The back line looked very dangerous with Chapman, Ware, Mackay and Caton all having outstanding games. They can be grateful towards their forwards in particular the front five who gave the backs the platform to play free flowing rugby.
With three games to go Weston will finish as the highest placed second team in the league and look forward to their last home fixture of the season next week against Chew Valley.
Weston United scorers - tries: Ollie Caton (2), George Chapman, Sam Light, Tom Sugg, Robbie Mackay, pen try: cons:George Chapman (6)
