Game 'Taylor Made' for Ladies Day

Classic Drinks Man of the Match – Dan Taylor

This was very much the case of a game matching the occasion. Being the Elks annual Ladies Day the colourful hats and dresses gave a perfect backdrop to the hugely entertaining game on the pitch, indeed a game ‘Taylor’ made for the occasion with all three brothers on the score sheet.
The score line suggests an easy victory but the visitors made the home side scrap for every point and fully played their part in warming the large but chilly crowd. Smarting from last week’s defeat and determined to get the season back on track the Elks were full of purpose and invention which enabled them to score six quality tries. All the Taylor brothers crossed the whitewash with two tries from fullback Greg and one each for centre Dan and scrum-half Lewis. Dan Mahoney also weighed in with two tries with the remaining thirteen points coming from the boot of fly-half JJ Connolly.
Midweek training had clearly ironed out last week’s problems and the Elks’ units functioned like a well oiled machine. The lineout produced quality possession with Adam Stoker, Paul Shoebridge and Simon Bennett securing their own ball and causing Dunstablians problems in theirs. The scrum also functioned more successfully and while never comfortable against a much bigger pack they created a platform from which No.8 Adam Corcoran and Lewis Taylor could operate. The front row of Gordon Pringle, Mat McGuire and Jason Falls worked tirelessly in the set piece and made important contributions around the field. However, it was the backs who ran the show with incisive running and intelligent support play creating scores from all areas of the park.
Playing up the slope it took only three minutes for the Elks to open the scoring when Greg Taylor sliced through a gap in midfield on the halfway line. Drawing the fullback he fed brother Dan on his inside shoulder who dived over wide out with Connolly missing the conversion.
A lapse in concentration by the Elks on seven minutes gave the visitors a penalty shot which Mills converted from forty metres to make it 5-3. Eight minutes later the elder Taylor brothers combined again with Greg benefitting from Dan’s weaving run and log pass to touch down between the posts from which Connolly again converted to give the Elks a 12-3 lead.
Realising that they could not compete with the Elks’ backline Dunstablians used the breeze and slope to pin the home side in their own half through the boot of Hobbs and then use their larger forwards to drive the ball close. Their strategy worked and enabled them to put pressure on the Elks which produced a series of penalties and eventually a yellow card for flanker Scott Rudkin who visited the sin-bin for the second week in a row for an offence on the floor. The visitors opted for a five metre scrum from which they rumbled over with No.8 Oliver touched down to bring them to within two points at 12-10 after Hobbs converted. Worse was to come for the Elks as, with Rudkin still serving his penance, a long range drop goal from Hobbs gave them the lead at 12-13 twelve minutes before the break.
With Rudkin’s return the Elks rediscovered their rhythm and could have regained the lead when Ellis Hallam, Greg and Dan Taylor created a chance for Mahoney but fullback Mills managed to scramble the ball into the in-goal area. The resulting five metre scrum saw Corcoran and Bennett drive the ball on. When it was released superb interpassing and support play from Connolly and Dan Taylor fashioned a try for Mahoney. Connolly converted to leave the score 19-13 at the break.
With the breeze and slope in their favour the Elks dominated the second half and never looked like surrendering their lead. They made their intention clear from the outset of the half when flankers Rudkin and Bennett turned the ball over in midfield and Hallam danced and bashed through a mass of bodies to set up a ruck. The ball was swiftly recycled and Dan Taylor sped clear. As the defence closed he manufactured a sublime inside switch pop pass to brother Greg who scored close the posts leaving Connolly a relatively easy conversion for a 26-13 lead with less than two minutes of the half gone.
With this seemingly comfortable lead the Elks were guilty of perhaps thinking the game was won and allowed concentration to lapse. They were punished when Hall took a quick tap penalty close to the line and fed Haig who squeezed into the corner to leave the score 26-18. Realising the danger the Elks resumed normal service seven minutes into the half when Connolly, Dan Taylor and Rudkin all demonstrated the art of offloading in contact to create a try for Mahoney which Connolly converted. They stretched their lead some seven minutes later when driving play from McGuire, Bennett and Shoebridge earned them a penalty which Connolly confidently stroked over to give them a 33-18 lead.
As the game entered the last quarter loosehead prop Pringle made way for Dave Clay and Alan Cook came on to replace Ben Gatehouse in the centre. Cook was quickly into the action following a Hallam turnover on halfway. His swift hands put Dan Taylor into space and his vision and long pass enabled youngest brother Lewis to join the family act as he sprinted over for a try converted by Connolly and finish the scoring at 43-18.
Damon Holmes joined the fray replacing Bennett on the blindside and the flanker was soon showing his defensive skills when second row Stoker was the second Elks to receive a yellow card but Dunstablians were unable to take advantage of their superior numbers with the game ending with a superb double tackle holding up the visitors over the line before the referee’s whistle brought the most entertaining of games to a fitting end.