DELIGHTED Director of Rugby Seb Reynolds lauded his side’s sensational 59-21 triumph at home to Taunton Titans as one of their best displays of the season.
The hosts turned on the style to run in nine tries as they matched their highest points tally in a National One fixture, the electric back three of Henry Bird, Jak Rossiter and man-of-the-match Axel Kalling-Smith looking deadly every time they received a kick into the back field.
Bouncing back from the narrow defeat at Plymouth a fortnight ago, Reynolds said: “Taunton have had a good run and are a tasty side, so we were mindful of that, but we just focused on ourselves, and I thought we played some fantastic rugby.
“We felt we could move the ball to the width and have a chance to counter with space in front of us – when you’ve got our back three and the likes of James McRae around you have a threat. The guys played fantastic heads-up rugby.”
The hosts opened their account with the first of five tries scored from the kick-return, Kalling-Smith with the initial break before slick handling sent Drew Humberstone over on the left.
A sweet move off a line-out saw Kalling-Smith run in from halfway before McRae cut a glorious line for his side’s third.
Try of the day – and surely a contender for the National League effort of the week – came with the final play of the first half, Rams repelling some five minutes of Taunton pressure.
Rather than booting the ball off the park, Ollie Cole broke free and following some more marvellous inter-play, Jak Rossiter finished the job for his 20th of a fabulous campaign some 20 seconds later.
Titans started the second half fast and Alex Rodd went over at the back of a maul, but Connor Stapley and Kalling-Smith tries re-asserted Rams’ control at 38-7.
Nick Mason and Charlie Wright crossed the whitewash for Taunton, George Worboys converting both to keep his side in contention, before the hosts turned on the afterburners late on.
The quality of off-loading was magnificent as Ellis Jones, Ollie Moffitt and McRae went over in the final seven minutes, Kalling-Smith taking over kicking duties and recording a 100 per cent ratio.
Reynolds continued “It was very impressive, but I like us to do it (attack). Sometimes you have to play the moment, and at times you get a turnover or penalty just before half-time and kick it out, but that’s what the opposition want you to do.
“So to be able to defend on our line with dogged determination and then suddenly break out and have the intent to put the pressure back on them by scoring did change the game.
“It could have been 19-7, but instead it was a 14-point swing and that probably left too much for Taunton to do.
“We’re always working on the continuity game and it was up there with the best it’s been this season. We do a lot of it in training and with the guys having a good skill-set, the unstructured attack can be executed under pressure.
“It was really good to see that against a quality outfit who are scrapping against relegation and who came here with lots of motivation, and our guys dealt with it really well.”
Rams head to Sale for a top-of-the-table clash on Saturday (2.30pm).
By Richard Ashton
