Angus Kernohan on Champ season so far

Club Captain Angus Kernohan reviews Ealing Trailfinders’ block one success ahead of the return to the Champ this weekend

After a fantastic start to the season with seven consecutive bonus-point wins, Club Captain Kernohan offered his thoughts on how his side achieved this winning run.

“I think it was a really good block. There were seven matches and we won seven,” he said.

“In that block of seven, we also had really big challenges. The game against Coventry was a really physical game. We were really challenged by Hartpury.

“We kept our performance pretty level throughout all of those matches. I don’t think that’s an easy thing to achieve.

“We kept our motivation on our performance level, and of course, there are things that we can work on. But winning seven from seven is a great achievement.”

Consistency has been the core attribute leading to the opening run of wins at Trailfinders. Kernohan emphasised that it has been an area the team have worked on this season.

“I think in the past, we’ve allowed our emotions to peak and then dip. This year, we’ve put an emphasis on controlling what we can control.

“We have a certain standard and a certain level which we want to maintain at all times. We try and play to our standard no matter who’s against us and no matter what the emotions are like. I think we’re seeing the fruits of that.”

Before the rest week in the Champ, Ealing Trailfinders hosted Doncaster Knights in Round Seven. On the previous three occasions before the game, Doncaster had proven victorious in tight scoreboard margins. However, in Round Seven, Trailfinders re-wrote the narrative to secure a win against the North East team.

“Doncaster are a great team,” Kernohan said. “They always raise their performance against us as well. So it was going to be a big challenge.

“We got our emotions completely right. And when we get our emotions right, we’re a hard team to beat.

“We put everything we’ve been practicing onto the pitch, and it was a fantastic performance. I was so proud of the guys.

“The match against Doncaster put down a real marker of our intent this year: we’re going to fight, even those teams that are coming to fight us.”

One particular moment that stood out to Kernohan from that match was Francis Moore’s second try. After changes in the team due to early injuries during the match, outside centre Moore had to move onto the wing. As a winger himself, Kernohan was incredibly proud of Moore’s adaptability and for scoring an incredible try.

“Francis’s try against Doncaster was amazing. Due to injuries that week and during the match, the game plan had to change. Francis moved from thirteen to wing and I thought he was brilliant.

“He’s worked really hard this year and he’s a talented player. It’s a nice thing seeing those two things come together.”

As the Christmas period approaches, colder days and dark mornings characterise the English winter. Kernohan discussed how the coaching staff are playing a key role in ensuring motivation remains high within the squad’s dynamic.

“The coaches are doing a really good job of rotating players. That’s something that we’re probably doing more this year than we ever have before.

“Players are given opportunities to prove that they deserve this shirt and then they have to try and keep the jersey. I think that’s a huge motivation.

“Each of our training sessions are extremely competitive and I think that competition from within allows us to keep going.”

Internal competition has certainly contributed to the success of Ealing Trailfinders so far in the Champ. However, there are times as a Club Captain which can be more difficult for Kernohan. Yet, they are all experiences that have helped him progress in the role after co-captaining the side last season to steering the ship at the helm.

“One of the biggest challenges is seeing really talented players not in the rotation for a certain week, and that can be really frustrating for them, because we do have such a talented squad. At times there are really great players who maybe aren’t picked that week.

“But that is where we as a squad have to trust in us as an organisation, in that the coaches have a plan and they are trying to create a really competitive squad that will endure the season and allow us to field a really strong team at the end of the year.

“It’s also about trusting that you will be given your chance at some stage and that whenever that happens, you’ve got to take it with both hands.

“We are one team and one organisation and keeping that unity is vital.”

In the second block of the Champ, Ealing Trailfinders face London Scottish, Caldy, Nottingham, Cambridge, Cornish Pirates, and Worcester Warriors.

“I’m really looking forward to playing Cambridge. I’ve got a friend who plays ten for them.

“Cornish Pirates away just after Christmas is a fixture I’m looking forward to. And definitely Worcester at home in January. When we initially saw the fixture list, our eyes were drawn to that match. That will be a really tough battle.”