Cary hosted the top of the table Taunton side for a match that many would assume the visitors would run away with. However, Cary's tactical training sessions (with James Atkins and Guy Clothier acting as the Taunton side) had paid off as Cary were able to enforce effective moves involving their back row chasing down Taunton's numbers 9 and 10. This demanded great exertion from the Cary pack, forcing them to work massively hard for their turnover ball to great effect.

On the occasions when the visitors did take possession, Taunton failed to use the ball effectively and, apart from an early converted try, were unable to match Cary's impressive performance. Tries from Paul Hoggett, Lee Harding, Jamie Smith and Gareth Watts were supplemented with a conversion and a penalty from Robbie Blackburn, and an all-round excellent effort from the whole team saw Cary putting in their best performance of the season to beat the visitors quite convincingly and to provide some excellent rugby for the spectators, despite the adverse weather conditions.

The hosts were pleased to welcome ex-Cary captain Steve Trott, playing against his old club for the Taunton outfit, and the Cary Man of the Match award went to Lee Harding for what James Atkins described as "a transformation from spending ten years bumbling around the pitch to a performance where everything clicked."

by Rosie Meek