It was the visitors who started brightly and they crossed the whitewash before Rams had even exited their own half, Ollie Burrows barging over from close range before Louis Sinclair added the extras.

However, the home side replied immediately as a trademark Axel Kalling-Smith break set-up Henry Bird on the right for Fraser Honey to level matters.

A scintillating second followed from first-phase play, the ball swung down the back-line before George Makepeace-Cubitt sent man-of-the-match Charlie Robson racing down the left, the wing sending an inside ball back to Ollie Monye to dive over.

An even better third followed at the end of the opening quarter, Monye freeing Kalling-Smith for another huge midfield burst, Robson again the provider as Makepeace-Cubitt bagged his first try for the club he started at as a Mini.

Honey added the extras, but Titans - who lost wing Greg Kitson to a nasty-looking knee injury - had the final say of the opening period, Sinclair landing a penalty to cut the deficit to 19-10.

But the Taunton fly-half was sin-binned for a deliberate knock-on early in the second half, and Rams wrapped up the bonus-point when Honey’s sublime cross-field kick was collected by Robson to run under the posts.

With Honey on target Rams had a 16-point lead, but the visitors kept battling away and kept their hopes alive as Ben Oliphant-Thompson powered over following a series of close-range carries.

Sinclair kept up his perfect record from the tee, but the hosts then clicked into overdrive with a magnificent finish.

Makepeace-Cubitt was the first to double his tally, Robson’s beautiful arcing break and perfectly timed pass sending the full-back over in front of clubhouse corner.

More wonderful work from Kalling-Smith and Robson then took the hosts back into opposition territory before Dan Swain smashed his way over against his former club.

Honey kept up his kicking accuracy and from the restart, Rams grabbed another with more electric three-quarter play finishing with Robson over for a second.

With the crowd now in fine voice, the hosts added a cherry to the top of the proverbial cake with another beauty, Rowan Grundy’s kick-pass from inside his own 22 finding Bird to go up the right.

An inside ball to the outstanding Kalling-Smith and another to replacement Ollie Cole saw the latter under the posts to bring the half-century up, Honey knocking over the kick to round out proceedings.

Rams now have a week off before returning to action at Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday, February 10.

Full Time: Rams 52–17 Taunton Titans

Half Time: Rams 19-10 Taunton Titans

Rams

Tries: Bird 8, Monye 13, Makepeace-Cubitt 20, 68, Robson 54, 75, Swain 72, Cole 79

Conversions: Honey 9, 21, 55, 69, 76, 80

Taunton Titans

Tries: Burrows 6, Oliphant-Thompson 64

Conversion: Sinclair 7, 65

Penalty: Sinclair 40

Star Man: Charlie Robson (Rams)

Referee: Adam Wookey

Attendance: 834

Rams

(15-9, 1-8) Makepeace-Cubitt, Bird, Kalling-Smith, Humberstone (vc), Robson, Honey, Monye; Harris, Hayman, Baker, C Stapley, Swain, Hoyt, McRae, R Stapley ©

Replacements: Lomas, Marris, Scott, Cole, Grundy.

Taunton Titans

(15-9, 1-8) Dart, Bailey, Tuima, Martin, Kitson, Sinclair, Banks; Vaughan, Burrows, Dalton, Oliphant-Thompson, Rice, H Wright, C Wright, Vakatukali ©
Replacements: Taione, Rodd, Knott, Leworthy, Stewart