This match was played in terrible conditions with Storm Darragh blowing at 60 to 70 miles throughout. Bizarrely each half of rugby was won by the side playing against the gale! Both sides kept the ball well and in the conditions kicking was a an option rarely taken.

Redruth got play underway into the teeth of the gale and immediately regained possession from the wind affected kick-off. They were to keep hold of the ball for the next 15 mins. The Reds kept the play in Taunton territory winning a couple of line-outs and controlling the ball well until they knocked on 5 metres out. Under pressure Taunton failed to clear the ball any distance and the Reds kept up the pressure. From a line out 7 metres from the line they went through the phases showing great continuity in the conditions and forcing a succession of penalties on and around the home 5 metre line. Persistent offending saw Sinclair get a yellow card for Taunton. From one of these penalties a scrum was called and Sam James powered through two would be tacklers to go over midway between the posts and the 15 metre line. On any normal day the conversion would have been a formality but not today, Dean Wills did really well in putting the kick over into the teeth of Darragh to put the Reds 7 up on 16 mins. Taunton now had a period of possession in the visitors 22 but could not breakthrough the Red wall. A penalty turnover by Chris Rovery brought some relief but the penalty was in the middle of the field only 10 metres from the Reds line, the Reds opted to scrum. They ran another penalty from a similar position and a few minutes later Taunton were warned again for too many penalties. The play was now totally in the Redruth half but the visitors were defending well but conceding penalties leading to their own warning. The home opted to run most of their penalties shunning kicks at goal with the wind advantage, the Reds were able to retain possession for long periods but gaining any ground was very difficult. Taunton ran a penalty on the Reds 22 and got up a head of steam for almost the first time making a half break, a few phases later they got the ball to the left wing for Kolowski to go over for their first try on 36 mins. The conversion from the touchline not surprisingly did not threaten the posts. The Reds controlled possession for the remainder of the half and went into the break in a great position.
Half-Time: Taunton 5 – 7 Redruth

The home side started the 2nd period well moving the ball a bit wider than the Reds did in the first period and threatening to break through the Reds midfield defence. A knock on gave the Reds a scrum and then a penalty near half-way on the 15 metre line, the Reds went for goal but the kick fell just short. The 22 drop-out went up, it went forward and then it went back as the Reds gained possession on the 22, good phase play brought a penalty on the 22 but Darragh blew the penalty attempt wide on 47 mins. The next 22 drop-out ended up as a Reds line out in the 22 without a player touching the ball! Line-outs were a lottery though and the home side were able to clear and put together a series of phases to take play into the visitors 22. It was now Taunton’s turn to lose a line-out in the 22 and the Reds cleared. From a penalty 7 metres from the home line the Reds opted for a scrum, Taunton took the scrum down for another penalty and another scrum but this time Taunton piled on the pressure to win the ball. From the next phase Jamie Prisk was shown a yellow card for a high tackle. Taunton made the extra man tell, from a scrum just inside their own half they kicked ahead and the bounce of the ball favoured them, the ball was moved to the right and fly-half Sinclair made a clean break, he shipped the ball inside to flanker Wright who almost made the line, a few phases later Vaughan was over in a similar place to where James had scored the Reds try. Crucially though Sinclair was unable to convert and Taunton were 10-7 up on 73 mins and ahead for the first time. Dan Rutter nailed the kick-off forcing the home side to run from their own line, the Reds kept them pinned in the 22 and the pressure forced a knock-on. Taunton dropped the scrum and the Reds had a kick on the 22 and 15 metres in to tie the match, Rutter made no mistake to make it 10-all on 78 mins. Redruth knocked on from the kick-off and from a scrum just outside the 22, Taunton plied on the pressure and Connor Triggs got a yellow card for a technical offence. The home side had numerous phases in the Reds 22 and strangely, storm Darragh notwithstanding, turned down a very kickable penalty, opting to run the ball. The Reds defence was not to be breeched and a penalty allowed the Reds to boot the ball off the field and the referee blew for no-side.

Both sides should be congratulated for putting on such an entertaining match in what were horrible conditions, the handling and defence shown by both sides were a credit to all that took to the field. In the circumstances a draw was the fair result.
Next Saturday the Reds will hope for calmer conditions when they take on Loughborough Students at the Recreation Ground.

Taunton
Tries: Kolowski, Vaughan.
Yellow Card: Sinclair.

Redruth
Try: James
Conv: Wills
Pen: Rutter