Rotherham Titans vs Ealing Trailfinders

Match Report

Ealing Trailfinders were unable to break their duck against Rotherham Titans as the South Yorkshire side ran in seven tries to secure their third win from three this season in the re-arranged British and Irish Cup match.

Nathan Buck scored Ealing Trailfinders’ only try and Academy flanker Tyler Bush came off the bench to make his debut in a fixture that was initially due to be played on 16 January, before the team had to turn around halfway up the M1 after the Clifton Lane pitch was deemed unplayable.

The result marked a winning start for their new Titans coach Justin Burnell and ended their run of 10 consecutive losses.

Ealing Trailfinders made a great start as Nathan Buck was driven over from a driving maul that Alex Davies converted to give the visitors a 7-0 lead after 10 minutes.

Rotherham wing Will Goodwin knocked a penalty off a post, but the host side continued to build their pressure and flanker Tom Calladine was driven over for a try that Goodwin converted to ensure the scores were level at half-time.

The hosts didn’t hang around to take control in the second half when wing Michael Keating swept on a loose ball to race in, with Goodwin adding the conversion. Calladine then scored his second and Goodwin his third conversion to stretch their lead further.

Before the hour mark Rotherham wrapped up a try bonus point when centre Will Owen collected the ball on the right hand side and galloped through. Two minutes later second row George Oram powered over and with Goodwin making it five from five from the tee the hosts had a lead of 35-7.

Rotherham Titans kept their foot on the accelerator as the match ran to its conclusion; first Josh Redfern crashed over in the corner following good work by the pack and then Willie Ryan hacked through to chase down and score the seventh Titans try.

Scorers
Rotherham Titans
Tries (Calladine 2, Keating, Owen, Redfearn, Ryan), Conversions (Goodwin 5)
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (Buck), Conversion (Davies)

Rotherham Titans
Sean Scanlon (captain), Michael Keating, Jordan Davies, Will Owen, Will Goodwin, James McKinney, Dan White, Robin Hislop, Darran Harris, Mark Tampin, Toby Salmon, George Oram, Willie Ryan, Tom Calladine, Josh Redfern
Reserves
Charlie Maddison, Toby Williams, Lewis Thiede, Jack Preece, Lloyd Hayes, Andy Davies, Luke Carter

Ealing Trailfinders
James Love, Callum Wilson, Sam Stanley, Joe Munro, James Stephenson, Tristan Roberts, Alex Davies; Jamie Kilbane, Karl Gibson, Nathan Buck, Nathan Hannay, Paul Spivey, Eoghan Grace, Alex Bradley, Danny Kenny (captain)
Reserves
George Porter, Matt Cornish, Michael Holford, Harrison Orr, Tyler Bush, Tom Trotter, Andy Reay

Referee – Jack Makepeace
Attendance – 618