Davies wants Raiders to learn from Taunton Titans defeat

Ian Davies has called on Worthing Raiders to learn from a lesson dealt to them by high-flying National 2 South outfit Taunton Titans on Saturday.
Kemp Price got a try in Worthing Raiders' defeat to Taunton Titans on Saturday. Picture by Stephen GoodgerKemp Price got a try in Worthing Raiders' defeat to Taunton Titans on Saturday. Picture by Stephen Goodger
Kemp Price got a try in Worthing Raiders' defeat to Taunton Titans on Saturday. Picture by Stephen Goodger

Raiders high performance team manager Davies witnessed Worthing squander an early 7-0 lead, then a 14-6 advantage at the interval as they were edged out 25-19 by Titans in the end.

Having worked themselves into a strong position at the halfway stage, Welshman Davies wanted to see better game management.

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He said: “It’s a lesson, as a group, we will heed and move onto next week. Conditions were difficult but we were disappointed, we did not manage the game well in the second half.

“It was a tight first half and, although we scored two very good tries, Taunton had us under pressure for large parts of the half. Our defence was strong, especially from Michael Dingle and Will Grief, to keep them out.”

Raiders’ start to 2018 has been a difficult one and they have won just once in four attempts.

They have faced Redingensians Rams, Chinnor and Taunton Titans - all teams currently in the top-three - in three of those four matches and travel to league leaders Cinderford on Saturday.

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Raiders have been free-scoring all season but were unable to score four or more tries in a match for just the seventh time from 20 games so far this campaign against Taunton. For the second week in succession, Worthing were unable to register a losing try bonus point but Davies is not putting it solely down to level of opposition faced.

He added: “We’ve faced three of the top four teams, and face the other this weekend, but we have been a little inaccurate too, so this has been as much the reason for our lack of tries as is the opposition.”

Jack Forrest’s late try - the home side’s third of the match - did ensure Raiders finished within one score of Taunton as they sealed a losing bonus-point.

Once again Worthing scored last in a match, a trait they seem to have a knack of doing this season, which will give them a much-needed boost ahead of a daunting trip on Saturday.

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“Cinderford are top of the league and going well but we were leading at half-time in our home match against them earlier this season,” Davies said.

“Cinderford are really well coached and we know how they will play, we know how we will need to play, so let’s see what happens.

“Just like any match you start 15 v 15, then it comes down to ability and application to see who comes out victorious.”

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