Match Round-up: Nottingham vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders’ unbeaten run in the 25-26 Champ Rugby season is extended to ten matches after a 14-17 victory against Nottingham at The Bay.

Tries from Deago Bailey and Matt Cornish, and a penalty from Dan Jones, secured a win on the road for the West Londoners.

The result leaves them nine points clear at the top of the table, with five Champ Rugby games still to play this weekend.

Trailfinders had an early chance to get some points on the board, after they won a penalty from the first breakdown of the game. Jones stepped up, and the ball rebounded back off the post, a let off for the hosts.

Jones eventually broke the deadlock on the 13-minute mark, after he slotted a penalty from 30 metres out.

Momentum swung in the home side’s favour for the next period of the game. After multiple phases camped inside the Trailfinders 22, Nottingham hit back through Michael Green. He powered through the defence and dived over to score. Gwyn Parks added the extras.

Trailfinders came close to getting one back in the following ten minutes, but they were held up on one occasion and handling let them down on another. The score remained 7-3 in favour of The Archers.

Just before the break, Parks looked to extend Nottingham’s lead from the tee, but his effort drifted just wide. Trailfinders took a quick 22 drop out and looked to get straight back down the other end for one final chance of the half.

Trailfinders worked their way up the field, and on the edge of the hosts’ 22, a delayed pass from Jones put Elliot Chilvers through a gap. Silky hands from the front row forward allowed him to get it away to Bailey, who was able to sprint in underneath the posts and give his side the lead as the clock ticked into red.

Half-time: Nottingham 7-10 Ealing Trailfinders

Nottingham came out firing in the second forty, and scored their second try just after the interval. Scrum-half Will Yarnell spotted some space around the breakdown and leapt for the line, Parks added the extra two.

With a quarter of the match to play, a kick to the corner gave Trailfinders a first opportunity to use their dangerous rolling maul. Two minutes after coming from the bench, Cornish scored a trademark try, breaking from the pack to pop up the other side of the whitewash and dot down.

Trailfinders played the remainder of the match inside Nottingham’s half, but couldn’t make the territory count and extend their three-point lead. With time up and the hosts with possession deep in their 22, they opted to kick the ball out and take the point.

A hard-earned 14-17 Ealing Trailfinders victory in Nottingham leaves them at top spot on 49 points in the Champ Rugby table.

Full-time: Nottingham 14-17 Ealing Trailfinders

Nottingham:

Tries – Michael Green 22, Will Yarnell 43

Conversions – Gwyn Parks 23 44

Ealing Trailfinders:

Tries – Deago Bailey 40, Matt Cornish 61

Conversions – Dan Jones 40, Rory Scannell 62

Penalties – Dan Jones 13