Hornets RFC were defeated by closest rivals Taunton in their National 2 West League match.

Despite a strong performance, the Hornets came away from Veritas Park with no points in the second-round fixture.

The match, played in front of a thousand spectators, marked Hornets' first game at this competitive level since Taunton was relegated from National 1 last season.

Hornets began the match with promising play, but Taunton's solid defence held firm.

After 10 minutes, Taunton secured a penalty, opting to kick to the corner.

A well-executed catch and drive led to a try, with Sinclair successfully adding the conversion, putting Taunton ahead 7-0.

An injury to Hornets' influential number eight, Don Farmer, forced the team to regroup.

Just two minutes later, Taunton worked the ball to the corner and scored again, with Sinclair's perfectly-placed sideline kick extending their lead to 14 points.

Despite the early setbacks, Hornets demonstrated their ability to compete, putting Taunton's defence under pressure.

After two penalty advantages, Chris Francis received a pass from Hayden Tuttiett and scored, with Jamie Elswood converting, narrowing the gap to 14-7.

Hornets continued to apply pressure but failed to score at crucial moments.

A break by Connor Vickery fell short, allowing Taunton to clear.

Taunton then won a penalty just inside Hornets' half, which they converted, leading 17-7 at half-time.

Hornets needed a strong start to the second half, and they delivered.

A mistake from Taunton's clearance kick gave Hornets possession in the hosts’ 22.

A well-worked line-out saw Cory Baker pass to Owen Griffith, who scored a well-timed try, bringing the score to 17-12.

The next 20 minutes saw both teams locked in a stalemate, with defences cancelling out attacks.

Taunton then scored again, with Sinclair adding the conversion, extending their lead to 24-12.

Hornets had opportunities but conceded too many penalties, leading to Chris Francis being temporarily sidelined.

Hornets' replacement fly-half, Luke McMullan, made an impact with a superb 50-22 kick.

This led to a line-out inside Taunton’s 22, resulting in a try from Harris, with McMullan converting, bringing the score to 24-19 with eight minutes remaining.

However, Taunton's experience showed as they scored a converted try and a late penalty, finishing the match at 34-19.

Despite the loss, Hornets demonstrated effort, skill, and ability against a formidable Taunton team.

Hornets had the hosts under pressure at times, and Taunton was relieved with the result at the end of a closely contested match.