MINEHEAD Colts’ winning start to the season came to an end on Saturday when they lost a tight match away to a strong Taunton side 17-12.

With Foster and Norman unavailable and a couple of players struggling with a virus, they were slightly below their best, but still started vigorously and inside the first two minutes skipper Walsh had scored and Lynch converted.

Some good approach work by Morris-Edwards, Joe Floyd, and Pring gave Walsh his chance and he broke through to score near the posts.

Taunton soon came back, and Day had to be at his busy best, tidying up loose play, while Pring putting in a couple of testing kicks.

The Barbarians suffered a loss when Kingston had to come off with a blow to the jaw, giving an opportunity to Elliot Floyd.

Taunton’s pressure was rewarded when they forced their way over for a try which was converted, as was a penalty soon after, and the high quality goal-kicking from the Taunton fly-half played a big part in the final result.

At half-time the Barbarians were only three points behind but had had to do a lot of defending and knew they still had much to do.

Good work from Boulton, Bullard, and Leitch kept the Taunton side at bay, while Pring, Walsh, and Hole tried to turn defence into attack.

But Minehead were struggling for quality possession, counter-attacking whenever they could through Gower, Walsh, and Hole, and the latter in particular ran hard through the home team cover and was unlucky not to score.

The running out of defence which had worked well for Minehead then went wrong as an inside pass was intercepted by the Taunton centre who ran in a try, again converted.

The Barbarians kept driving at the home line. winning a number of penalties which they ran, and from one such tap, Joe Floyd took the ball on the burst and drove low over the line to score.

Having cut the deficit, the Barbarians could not get and further points and Taunton, having kept possession a little better and done better at the lineout, secured a deserved win.

Minehead’s man of the match was Connor Walsh for his efforts in attack and leadership.