TAUNTON Titans put in a sub-standard performance in their first away game of the New Year and went down 19-14 to a battling Canterbury side in National league 2 (S) yesterday.

The weather was dry but there was a strong wind blowing across the pitch.

Taunton started the game playing up the slope and made a poor start, conceding a try after just five minutes.

Canterbury had a good off-loading game and after some soft tackles got behind the Titans defence and punished them with a try in the corner.

Titans got back on track five minutes later through a well-taken try by fly-half Toby East.

From his high kick, winger Jack Faulkner challenged for the ball and as East followed up he collected the loose ball and scurried down the wing to score.

Gary Kingdom landed an excellent conversion from out wide in the strong wind to give the Titans the lead for the only time.

Canterbury then capitalised on Taunton’s uncharacteristically poor defence and the visitors found themselves conceding another two tries.

Both were scored by their big winger, Mason Rosvall, who cut some great lines off his wing and caused the Titans issues all day.

Fly-half Tom Best converted both tries to take the half time score to 19 -7.

Taunton needed to up their game if they wanted to get anything out of the game and that they did.

They firmed up the defence and attacked well but for 20 minutes Canterbury showed how to play the game up the slope by keeping the ball and moving up the pitch.

Once Taunton did get hold of the ball they managed to score a converted try in the 72nd minute with scrum half Lewis Webb touching down around the bottom of a ruck with Kingdom adding the extras.

With ten minutes to go it was all Taunton but Canterbury’s defence held firm and claimed their deserved victory.

Taunton Titans: Kingdom, Popham, Mason, Fraser, Faulkner (Massey-Birch 50), East, Webb, Harvey (Gatford 34 - 44), J Fleming (Skinner 28), Lee (Fleming 60), G Fleming (Cormack 45), Cormack (Turner 28), Stanley (Gosling 33), Spurdle, Woolmore. Yellow card: Gosling (34).