Morganians 10, Taunton III 17

MORGANIANS didn't start 2014 the way they wanted, after a tough result at home to Taunton.

The visiting side started very brightly with a big drive from their forwards and making a lot of ground to score in the early exchanges.

Due to the conditions, the ball was kept well within both sets of forwards for long periods of the game. The game followed this pattern for much of the afternoon with both sides battling hard.

Taunton extended their lead after their scrum half found a gap through a tight Morgs defence to score under the posts.

Taunton's lead was sliced in half on the stroke of half time, with a well finished try after Stef Pearce popped the ball through a gap for him to run on and do the rest.

The half time score was 10-5. The second half continued in much the same as the first.

However, Taunton were the first to add more points this half after some good offloading play by their forwards leaving their prop to crash over the line and score, this was followed up by the conversion.

It was Morgs who were to add the final points of the game in an exciting finish.

The game had picked up in pace as Morgs went in search of getting back into the game, with breaks coming from Matt Winter and James Fox putting more pressure on the Taunton defence.

Matt Winter scored the final try of the game after Fox had placed a kick into the corner for him to chase, and the bounce being favourable for the Morgs winger to get over the line and score in the dying moments, as the game finished 17-10 to Taunton.

Morganians travel to Somerton next week (January 18) as they search for their first win of the New Year.