Match report: Ealing Trailfinders vs Edinburgh ‘A’
Ealing Trailfinders secure a victory over Edinburgh ‘A’ in their final pre-season fixture.
The men in green ran out at Trailfinders Sports Club for the first time for the 2026/27 season ahead of Elior Champ Rugby next week.
The home side dominated attack in the opening minutes of the game. Pressure down the wings with explosive runs and breakdown pressure had Trailfinders on top.
Yet, the initial handling errors meant that Trailfinders were unable to convert their 22 entries into points. Continued aerial battle pressure and rapid speed of ball saw Trailfinders continually stay on top in attack as the clock neared the ten minute mark.
Edinburgh struck back after holding themselves in defence with their first entry into Trailfinders’ 22. But pressure at the breakdown saw Trailfinders secure turnover ball. Michael Stronge put boot to ball, sending it into touch for a clean exit.
Trailfinders continued to look to the attack but the rust on the wheels was yet to come off for the men in green as the clock neared the end of the first quarter.
The home side were later rewarded with penalties in the red zone. A driving maul opportunity enabled Trailfinders to hunt down their first try scored by Jordy Reid. Louie Johnson added the conversion.
Once the first score was under their belt, Trailfinders kept the scoreboard ticking. Toby Cousins broke down the wing on the 26th minute to score the second try of the game.
Edinburgh weren’t walking away quietly. They pressed forward with their own attacking pressure to score under the posts and add the conversion to close the scoreboard down to five differentiating points.
However, a second driving maul try scored by Scott Buckley enabled Trailfinders to continue the score advantage going into half-time.
Half-time: Ealing Trailfinders 19-12 Edinburgh ‘A’
It was the second half that put any of the Scottish outfit’s threats to bed.
Trailfinders won a penalty in the opening minutes of the second half. A break from Will Feeney down the right wing set him up for Trailfinders’ fourth try.
Moments later, Edinburgh ‘A’ struck back with their third try from a driving maul of their own. The following minutes of play saw Trailfinders in defence as Edinburgh looked to hold the upper hand.
Replacements from the Trailfinders bench were brought onto the field before Edinburgh could throw the lineout. Fresh legs and strong defensive pressure saw the visitors spill the ball forward.
Back in attack, Trailfinders’ fifth try came from another successful lineout into a driving maul to extend the scoreline.
A back and forth battle continued between both sides in the centre field, although Edinburgh struggled to gain a foothold on the latter stage of the match. Trailfinders stormed forward, going through the phases. Eventually fruitful, Fyn Brown scored from short range in a power game. Rory Scannell added the conversion.
A try on debut for Tom Florence sixty seconds later wrote the script for the scoreline as time on the clock dwindled. Scannell added another conversion.
The visitors stuck in the fight until the very end, having the upper hand in the red zone until a spilt ball meant that the referee blew the full-time whistle in favour of the home side.
Full-time: Ealing Trailfinders 45-17 Edinburgh ‘A’
Player of the Match: Louie Johnson
