Taunton Titans kicked off their National League 2 West campaign in style with a commanding 48-17 victory over Devonport Services under the lights at Summerfield Stadium.
A crowd of almost 1,100 watched a new-look Taunton side, featuring seven first-team debutants, overcome a difficult start to register an impressive opening-day win.
Devonport dominated possession during the opening exchanges and pinned Taunton back with relentless pressure.
The visitors eventually made their superiority count when prop James McFarlane crossed from a driving maul, although the conversion was missed.
Despite spending much of the first quarter defending, Taunton struck first through Harrison Coonick.
The winger looped into midfield before racing clear from inside his own half to score a stunning solo try.
Tom Putt converted before later adding a penalty.
Israel Akinrowa, making his first appearance for the club, then marked the occasion with a try of his own, slicing through the Devonport defence.
Putt again converted to leave the hosts trailing by just two points.
Taunton completed the first-half turnaround shortly before the break.
After replacement Jan Davison secured a crucial lineout, hooker Gabriel Mead finished off a driving maul on his club debut.
Putt's conversion sent the hosts into the interval with a 17-12 lead.
The Titans took control after the restart.
Just three minutes into the second half, Putt produced a perfectly judged grubber kick for Freddie Elliott to chase and score.
Moments later, Ben Parsons powered over for Taunton's bonus-point try before Devonport responded through second row Rickard, who finished another driving maul.
Putt's penalty restored breathing space before Matt Whitlock joined the attacking line from full-back to score Taunton's fifth try, with the fly-half adding the extras.
The best was still to come.
Replacement scrum-half Will Holmes produced a moment of individual brilliance, collecting the ball from a scrum inside the Devonport half before slicing through the defence and sprinting clear to score.
Holmes was also involved in the final try.
Elliott's clever kick ahead created the opening, with Holmes winning the race to the ball before supplying Henry Batty to finish.
Putt converted six of the seven tries and added a penalty in an influential display as Taunton put together an emphatic second-half performance.
After a shaky opening, the Titans' powerful pack, resilient defence and clinical finishing proved too much for Devonport, providing an encouraging start to the new season.
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