Last week, the 35-cap number eight was loaned to Premiership side Saracens to give the Edinburgh-based player some valuable game-time after his recovery from a serious knee injury sustained against Ireland in last years RBS 6 Nations.

Taylor played the last 20 minutes of Saturdays Premiership win over Northampton and then 40 minutes tonight in a 41-26 friendly defeat against South African Super 12 side The Cats.

And the 25-year-old had an impressive half of rugby, doing nothing spectacular but making a series of telling contributions.

Taylor played a key role in Sarries second try just before the break, involved in a series of forward drives which took the home side close to the Cats line.

Saracens were eventually awarded a scrum five metres out and Taylor picked up from the base, drifted right and drew his opposite man before popping off to scrum-half Morgan Williams who in turn fed his outside backs for Kevin Sorrell to touch down under the posts for his second try of the match.

Earlier, Taylor was involved in a fine passage of play when he found himself in the scrum-half position at the back of a ruck and fed stand-off Glen Jackson with an immaculate 15m spin pass.

Taylor also made a couple of crucial tackles. One in particular on opposite man Juan Smith stopped a promising Cats attack dead in its tracks.