Taunton v Avon

Avon went to the top of the league with this emphatic bonus point win at Hyde park.

Avon went to the top of the league with this emphatic bonus point win at Hyde park.

Playing into a strong wind Avon were soon on the scoreboard as Des Bowden found some space after only 3 mins to outpace the defence to score in the corner. Sam Rowland's added a penalty soon after and then made a searing break to setup winger Ben Crane for a try on his first start of the season. The Avon pack had a tight grip on the game by now with Dixon and skipper Harwood making ground with a series of charges and Scoot Book causing all sorts of problems to the Taunton lineout.

The bonus point try come just before half time when center Stuart Thompson finished of a following move.

Avon not for the first time this season failed to kick on in the second half and struggled to create any rhythm as Taunton

contested strongly at the breakdown and Avon never used the strong wind on theor backs to maximum advantage.

Ben Hurd made it a Ginger double after 45 mins when he scored from the back of a maul but Avon did not trouble the scorers again until 5 min before the end when Sam Rowlands showed great pace down the left hand wing to score in the corner. Replacement Ollie Hardin-Wyatt finished the scoring just before full time when lock Dixon showed how to execute a two on one to put the young winger away up the touchline before Ollie stepped his way through the defence to score under the posts.

The game also saw the return of Ben Dilloway and Chris Sawyer for their first games of the season when they came off the bench for Craig Rees and Ian Burnell who's close support play won him the man of the match accolade

Avon travel away again next week when they go to Tor