Saturday 12th
March 2005 (League Match)
‘Yatton pin back League Leaders’
Taunton came needing only 5 points from their four remaining matches to ensure promotion. They left empty-handed with their tails between their legs. Yatton had turned on classic 15-man rugby in front of their home crowd.
Giving no respect and hell bent on revenge for their defeat early in the season Yatton swamped their opposition with two converted tries within the first 20 minutes.
A driving maul saw the controlled determination awarded by Neil Hynam’s emphatic grounding of the ball.
Minute’s later centre Matt Stone forcefully broke through and evaded the last tackle to ensure an easy conversion. Sam Osborne converted both tries, the first from out wide.
Uncompromising rucks followed by precision kicks snuffed out the visitors’ attacks and it took until seconds before halftime for Jason Dick to convert Taunton’s only penalty opportunity.
Osborne’s penalty assisted by Taunton’s indiscipline 5 minutes in eased Yatton further infront.
Dave Keating’s casually taken drop goal at 60 minutes added to Taunton’s woes but seemed to sting them into urgency.
Yatton’s defence was then severely tested but again held firm. On one occasion defensive rucking yards from Yatton’s tryline gave the flyhalf an opportunity down the blindside and well into the oppositions half of the field. Had he not been soft from his recent diving holiday or was even five years younger he would probably have finished off the break.
Osborne’s second penalty with 5 minutes to go increased the homesides relentless pressure and Keatings second drop goal in injury time rounded off Yatton’s deserved victory by a reasonable margin.