Taunton impress to down Clifton in derby

A LARGE crowd at the Commsplus Stadium on Friday night were treated to an entertaining local derby with Taunton taking the spoils against a dogged Clifton side.

It was the Titans who started the brightest with Toby East kicking a penalty in the opening minutes.

With both defences on top it took quarter of an hour before the first try, which went the Titans’ way, and a rare try for prop Isaac Dalton. East missed the conversion but made amends ten minutes later when he converted winger Oscar Kolowski’s try to open up a 15-point lead.

The visitors took the game to Taunton at the start of the second half and fly-half Thomas Francis kicked a penalty to open their account.

A great break by Julian Salvi created the space for some great hands to put Ollie Rice in, East converted to make the score 22-3 with half an hour to go.

Clifton then started to get their big runners into the game and found their way to the Titans 22 and scored a try through MerRedith Lloyd, the conversion was missed.

The Titans came straight back and scored through the impressive Jarrard Hayler, which East once again converted. Lloyd then went in for his second try of the evening before Taunton had the last word when Sam Brown hit a great line to score.

The last ten minutes were all Clifton but they could not find a way through.