Ealing Trailfinders vs Yorkshire Carnegie

Match Report

Ealing Trailfinders scored 32 unanswered points as they fought back in the second half to beat Yorkshire Carnegie in their first British and Irish Cup match of the season.

After Carnegie substitute Mike Mayhew scored early in the second half Ben Ward’s side turned around a 28-12 deficit by running in five tries before Mayhew scored his second late on.

Even then Ealing Trailfinders had the poise to claim the last word with the last try of the day through Lewis Jones.

The action had barely started when captain for the day Chris York opened the scoring when he popped up to intercept a loose pass and run in between the posts.

Both teams continued to press each other, though it was the home side who were in the ascendancy in the early stages. However, despite good breaks from Rhys Crane and Lewis Jones it was Carnegie who scored next.

Flanker Andy Saull was first to a loose-ball around a ruck. He hammered it down the pitch and the ball bounced perfectly for Oli Goss to collect and race away.

They struck again just before the half-hour when scrum-half Max Green got behind the Ealing Trailfinders defence, Warren Seals kept the move going and Jack Whetton off-loaded for Ollie Stedman to score.

The hosts hit back immediately. New signing Seb Nagle-Taylor broke the line from a line-out move, Josh Davies took the ball on further and after the forwards took over Rodman was driven over to reduce the arrears.

Carnegie began to exert their dominance and while Lewis Jones made a try-saving tackle on his opposite number Andy Forsyth, Carnegie managed to find their way across the line for a third time before half-time through hooker Ross Graham.

Luke Peters made another vital tackle on Forsyth early in the second period and after York stole a Carnegie line-out, Davies’ box-kick gave the home side good field position. However, the Carnegie defence held out and then went up the other end to score a fourth through reserve hooked Mike Mayhew.

Ealing Trailfinders hit back with their third try after Davies tapped a penalty and Phil Chesters popped up on his shoulder to run home. Debutant Nagle-Taylor then ensured a four-try bonus point when he peeled round the front of a line-out to crash over.

Will Magie sent Chesters free on the counter-attack and after the pack pounded the Carnegie line, Davies sniped round the blindside to mark his first start with a try and put Ealing Trailfinders back in the lead. Magie then knocked over a penalty to stretch the advantage further.

Carnegie fought back strongly and were camped on the Ealing Trailfinders line. In a flash though the momentum changed. Callum Wilson made a try-saving tackle on Mayhew and then Crane swept to intercept and celebrate his birthday with a try.

Davies his scored his second with a cheeky grubber behind the defence that he was first to and Wilson then came up with another thumping tackle to stop Carnegie breaking away.

Mayhew burrowed over for his second as Yorkshire launched a late assault on the Ealing Trailfinders line, but Lewis Jones teamed up with his namesake Carwyn to drive over for a late score on the final whistle.

Scorers
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (York 1, Rodman 30, Chesters 52, Nagle-Taylor 58, Davies 63, 74 Crane 71, Lewis Jones 79), Conversions (Magie 1, 52, 63, 79), Penalties (Magie 67)
Yorkshire Carnegie
Tries (Goss 18, Stedman 26, Graham 40, Mayhew 46, 78) Conversions (Seals 18, 26, 40, 48, Green 78)

Ealing Trailfinders
Rhys Crane, Callum Wilson, Lewis Jones, Luke Peters, Phil Chesters, Will Magie, Josh Davies; Ignacio Lancuba, Rhys Lawrence, Sam Rodman, Scott Andrews, Carwyn Jones, Alex Bradley, Seb Nagle-Taylor, Chris York (captain)
Reserves
Matt Cornish, James Gibbons, Alex Penny, Sam Pailor, James Cordy-Redden, Luke Carter, Ben Ward

Yorkshire Carnegie
Christian Georgiou, Oli Goss, Andy Forsyth, Tom Casson, Taylor Prell, Warren Seals, Max Green; Charlie Beech, Ross Graham, James Thraves, Jack Whetton, Dan Sanderson, Andy Saull, Chris Walker, Ollie Stedman
Reserves
Mike Mayhew, Lee Imiolek, Ciaran Parker, Dan Preston-Routledge, Richard Beck, Oliver Fox, Max Wright

Referee – Veryan Boscawen
Attendance – 468
STORM Watches man of the match – Alex Penny