Match Report Burnham 2XV 45 – Taunton 111 39 30Nov 13“Burnham Turn on a BaBas score board”
Burnham 2s hosted Taunton 3s at the BASC ground on Saturday; this was the first encounter of the season with the city boys. Taunton is an established rugby fraternity who have a deep pool of rugby talent to draw from. Burnham were still  smarting from the  close encounter from the  previous week  and were determined to make amends and continue on their strategy  to  get  back  to  winning ways.
Burnham had lost Capt. Matt Slater to  a  call up  to the  first team; Henry Bigwood  had been promoted to  take the lead for this game  and  Nick  Mcken had  been  drafted in to  fill  in for  the  vacated Capts.  slot. The  team build  up  was  very  positive as the  team was  about to  deploy high drama occurred when Nick  was  called out at  work which left  a loose head  place void, this was taken by Barry Davies who  stepped up to  play out of  position.
The  new  skipper Henry was on a learning curve this started  early; as he  thought when he  won the  toss that  he  got to  keep  the  money!!  The  game got under  way and  it  was  apparent  that Taunton wanted this game to  be  played in their experienced forward unit; all the  early  work  was emulating from this  unit as they  tried to dominate to  establish an attacking platform for the  back  division, as the  game swirled around the  area of  the  home 22 a loose  pass was pounced upon by James  Python who ran the  length  to score under  the  uprights. Taunton recoiled by applying the  same amount of  pressure; Burnham were better organised by this stage and  thwarted the next  onslaught only to  expose Taunton again where  Python served up  the  same treatment scoring under the posts.
The ensuing play saw both sides attempt to  break into  the  other defence, Taunton had taken on board the lesson learnt from their  earlier cavalier approach  to attacking Burnham and  now shored up  their  defence  as Burnham attacked, the  game pendulumed around  mid-field.
The visitors again mounted a forwards attack and were awarded a penalty which was converted; followed by a forwards drive that saw them crossing the home side’s line; this despite some valiant Burnham defending. The visitors pack was a more experienced unit but Burnham’s lighter more mobile unit had momentum and was creating a more comprehensive support pattern that the visitors were finding difficulty in matching; it was also apparent that the visitor’s lacked the fitness to sustain the tempo they had created.
Burnham was linking well with  forwards being creative within the  loose and creating good ball via Sam Wall at 9 with  the  back division being creative directed by  Ryan Reynolds the  wingers  Elliot Donnelly  and  Tim Shaft/ along with  Mark  O’Reagan were enterprising and  looking for work and  involvement; as the  half ended  it was a constructive half review that was presented by Tiny and  the  Capt.
The game commenced and due to Substitutions the scrums were to be uncontested. Burnham went immediately into the attack resulting in a well-co-ordinated forwards move into the visitor’s 22 this saw break outs by James Osgood and Lloyd Stewart; Matt Glanville collected and burst through to finally feed Osgood who finished it off under the uprights.
This high was capitalised on with  the  home  side  taking the game back into  the  visitors 22 Ginge Somerhayes broke wide on the right kicking his  own ball on and collecting to  score under the  posts; an outstanding individual try.
Taunton reorganised and due to  the situation of the  uncontested scrums had a bit more in the  tank than they would have had if the scrums had been contested they used this  to good  effect;  to sustain an attacking attrition against  Burnham that soon saw tries being scored. Burnham still wanted to open the game out and  run the  ball and always exploited  any opportunity to  run the  ball, it was during a break out by the  backs brought about by a good  delivery  of ball from Tom Stevens  that  Python (a true racing snake) again exploited the vacant space  of the  Taunton defence to  score under the posts.
This breathed new life into  the  home side and was followed up  by a well moved phase of play through use of the open spaces  which saw wingers centres  and the  full back linking to  enable Matt Mitchell to  cross the line. 
Taunton again showed  their  true  calibre by coming back into  the game mounting a sustained series  of excursions into the  home  side defensive  area which held  well and  finally leaked  a try. By this stage both the crowd and the Referee were consulting the Abacus in an effort to tally up the score.
Taunton had left  the  late rally ;to late; as the  game was brought to  an  end on what the official commented on the  fact that  it  had  been  a well fought highly charged entertaining game of rugby.
Burnham had certainly stepped up since the last outing of the unit, and every man deserved to leave the field with their heads held high,
Special mention is merited to Sam Wells for a sterling performance as Scrum half, Osgood  and  Stevens  ruled the  air  waves; Pythons contribution was outstanding; Ginge’s  try  was to  die for; the  leadership and  commitment by Henry did himself and Matt Slater  proud.
Team; Summerhayes;Granville;Davies;Stewart;Smith;Bigwood(c) Osgood;Stevens; Wall; Reynolds; Donnelly; Python; Shaft; O’Regan; Mitchell; subs all used; Jones; Stacey;Girth;Grant;
Training for those who can make it is a must, next Sat 07. Away game against Tor.
All club members are to take note that any unpaid club membership is now overdue and must be settled soonest/ by Sat 30 Nov if not before. Membership forms can be down loaded from the Club web site and/or some forms are behind the BASC bar.