TAUNTON Titans return to Hyde Park on Saturday where they will be defending their unbeaten home record against Redruth (3pm).

Since Taunton Titans emerged as Taunton RFC’s first team they have yet to beat Redruth in three meetings.

Last time out Titans were denied victory in the last few minutes of the game after playing 75 minutes with only 14 men after Stuart Townsend was sent off.

Despite some off-field issues at Redruth in the Press over the last few weeks the Titans are still wary of a Redruth side that are desperate for points so they aren’t dragged into the relegation battle below them.

With both teams coming into the game in similar form it is set to be another close, exciting game.

Forwards coach Chris Brown said: “I am fully aware of their capability and what their tenacious attitude is worth and feel it is just the sort of challenge we need after the frustration of last week’s defeat at Shelford.

“Redruth against Taunton has produced some cracking fixtures in the last three years and I expect this weekend to be no different.

“In the last fixture, we were unlucky to lose the match and weekend gives us an opportunity to put the record straight.

“We are well aware of Redruth’s problems off the field, but this has no bearing on the contest. League rugby is about points and both teams will be keen for the prize on Saturday.”

Titans will name the squad as late as possible to ensure they can pick from a full, healthy squad. One player who will be hoping to be in the match day squad somewhere is Nick Mason.

Mason is one of the players who were invited by the Titans to train with them at the beginning of the season – an opportunity a lot of last season’s colts and the younger second team players have grabbed with both hands.

Mason, whose preferred position is on the wing but can also play in the centre, has played in the last three Titans games, scoring two tries, one on his debut and one last weekend.

He has played at Taunton all of the way through the junior section and in his first season in senior rugby is thriving in the environment – something that hasn’t gone unnoticed by head coach Tony Yapp.

Yapp said: “At the end of last season we identified that a lot of the better younger players were drifting away from the club and this was something that needed to be addressed.

“We invited a dozen or so players that were highlighted by their coaches to train with us in pre-season and then during the season proper.

“Nick was one of those players and he has gone from strength to strength. He came along to a couple of our games just to watch and be a part of the warm up so he knew the environment and what is expected of you at this level so it wasn’t a shock and he wasn’t thrown into the deep end.

“He has now started the last three games and has looked like he has played at this level for quite a while.

“It is exciting as a coach to see how much potential that not just Nick but some of the other younger players have and how far they can go.”