Taunton 17 - 22 Exmouth

Taunton’s impressive Hyde Park ground has not always been a happy hunting ground for the Cockles and with Exmouth needing three wins from four remaining games the pressure in the race for promotion started here. The ingredients for a challenging game of rugby were highlighted by the Taunton President’s programme notes which said that “they were desperate to get back to winning ways after their disappointing and shock away loss to St Mary’s the previous week”. Taunton knew that Exmouth or Barnstaple had to slip up to keep them in the race but this was not to be their day. The game that both sets of players finally served up for spectators was probably as exciting as it gets and Exmouth’s second half performance showed that they were up for the challenge.

The game got under way at a hectic rate and during the first five minutes both Taunton and Exmouth could have scored with Gary Hooper and Ollie Turton both going close for the Cockles. On ten minutes the nerves were beginning to show and Exmouth put pressure on themselves with a poor kick out of the hands which gifted the ball to Taunton flyer Dave Webber and only a crunching tackle by Paul Morgan prevented an early score. The Taunton winger was penalised for holding and when the penalty was advanced ten metres by the referee the Cockles should have taken back the initiative but another poor kick failed to find touch. The Exmouth scrum was under a bit of pressure at this stage and when they lost a ball against the head near halfway Taunton nearly punished them. They were penalised for holding but the warning signs were there.

Into the second quarter of the game and Taunton started to exert some control and should have gone ahead after twenty five minutes when a break by their centre was undone when he took on the Exmouth defence, where converted centre Seb Phelps was dominant, rather than pass to one of four players who had the line within sight. With twenty seven minutes played another turnover of the Exmouth scrum on their own 22 finally produced a Taunton score when quick ball found winger Ben Rudkin who ran in for an unconverted try. At this point Tony Emmins who, with Ben Boswell and Chris Strong in the back row had tackled everything that moved, had to leave the field to be replaced by equally talented Andrew Smith.

Following the restart Taunton were back on the attack again and within five minutes only a forward pass prevented another score. The pressure was now really on and when minutes later the Exmouth scrum was turned over again Dave Webber went over for Taunton’s second try. Stuart Lowe was now on the field for the injured Martin Westaway and for the remaining five minutes until the break Exmouth played in the Taunton half. Richard Cadywould was unlucky with a drop goal which cannoned off a post and moments later with a penalty which sailed past the upright. Tight head Sean Cooper joined the fray at half time and within minutes a break by Gary Hooper nearly put Jack Downie away but the winger was hauled into touch just short of the line.

Exmouth were now taking a bit more control and clean ball from their lineout allowed Richard Cadywould the space to pop over a drop goal. With the score at 10pts-3 the Cockles were back in the game and when after fifteen minutes Seb Phelps charged down a kick by the Taunton fly half, Paul Morgan darted after the ball and beat everyone to the touchdown Richard Cadywould kicked the conversion and Exmouth were back on equal terms. It was now a transformation and Taunton were making all sorts of mistakes due to the pressure and their pack was beginning to tire. With seventeen minutes played a driving maul from the Taunton 22 took Exmouth within striking distance and when the ball got to Jack Downie he shrugged off a number of tacklers to score wide out. Cadywould missed the conversion but Exmouth had taken the lead for the first time.

Taunton tried to get some momentum going but the Exmouth defence was paramount and when on thirty minutes Taunton messed up a scrum near their own line Gary Hooper snapped up the ball and went over and Cadywould’s conversion took the score to 22pts-10. For the remaining ten minutes Taunton came back at Exmouth and No 10 Matt Ayres gained some consolation when he converted his own try to close the score to 22pts-17 but the Cockles defence throughout the game and their finishing in the second half were just a bit too much for the Somerset side.