Welcome to the official LIVE blog from today’s preseason fixture against Rosslyn Park.

This page will updated regularly throughout the game so please remember to refresh your page every few minutes (KO 3pm UK time).

 

FINAL SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 26 – 57 EALING TRAILINDERS

 

Tries: Jack Metcalf (8th, 63rd min) Harry Dugmore (14th, 19th, 70th min), Jan-Henning Campher (25th min), David Douglas Bridge (36th min), Jimmy Roots (42nd min), Will Montgomery (44th min)

Conversions: Craig Willis (8th, 14th, 19th, 36th, 42nd, 44th min)

 

80th Min: The referee blows his whistle for full-time. A strong performance here at The Rock.

 

 

75th Min: Isaac Shaw with two dominant carries on his wing. We’re working the ball out of our 22.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 26 – 57 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

70th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Dugmore is over for his hat-trick, dotting the ball down following another dominant driving maul! Willis misses the conversion.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 26 – 52 EALING TRAILFINDERS

67th Min: TRY ROSSLYN PARK. The home side break through our defence from 15 metres out to comfortably score under the posts. Conversion successful.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 19 – 52 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

63rd Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Lovely piece of foot work by Jack Metcalf, beating his opponent to break through the Park defence and charge to the line for his second of the afternoon. Willis misses the conversion.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 19 – 47 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

61st Min: PENALTY TRY ROSSLYN PARK. The home side are awarded the penalty try from the rolling maul. James Gibbons is sent to the bin for his involvement and we are down to 13 men.

 

 

58th Min: Both sides are down to 14 players for 10 minutes with Harry Dugmore and his Park opponent involved in a minor scuffle on half-way. Park are awarded the penalty and kick for the line.

 

 

56th Min: Jimmy Roots is replaced by Ross Kane at tighthead. Other changes at half-time included Dan Lancaster on for Pat Howard and Oli Fox for Jack Grant. Score remains 12-47.

 

 

52nd Min: Park applying territorial pressure, winning back to back penalties in our half. They kick for the lineout on our 22.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 12 – 47 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

44th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Will Montgomery rampages through the Park defence, beating the last defender to crash over from 35 metres. Willis converts from straight in front.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 12 – 40 EALING TRAILFINDERS

 

 

42nd Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Great start to second half with Jimmy Roots pushing his way over from close range. Willis adds the extras.

 

 

HALF-TIME SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 12 – 33

 

 

39th Min: Park with the late attacking possession but our defence is rock solid, forcing the knock-on. We’ll pack down for the scrum.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 12 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 33

 

 

36th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! David Douglas Bridge is over for his first try in Ealing colours. He powers his way over from close range. Willis adds the conversion.

 

 

32nd Min: Park are down to 14 men with ex Trailfinder Arthur Ellis sent to the sin-bin. We take the quick tap, five metres out!

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 12 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 26

 

 

28th Min: TRY ROSSLYN PARK. The home side slice through our defence, popping a neat offload to score from 20 metres out. Conversion is good.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 5 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 26

 

 

25th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Another dominant driving maul and this time Jan-Henning touches down for the score. Willis’ conversion strays wide.

 

 

21st Min: Massive scrum by our pack, forcing the turnover and penalty. We kick for the corner!

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 5 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 21

 

 

20th Min: TRY ROSSLYN PARK. The home side respond quickly with former Trailfinder Matt Gordon finding a gap in our defence to score in the corner. Conversion missed.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 0 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 21

 

 

19th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Dugmore scores his second from the back of the ruck. Willis converts nicely and we lead by 21.

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 0 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 14

 

 

14th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Harry Dugmore barges over from the back of the maul. Willis adds the extras.

 

 

12th Min: Willis punches a powerful kick into the Park 22. The home side gather possession and punt it into touch. We’ll have the five metre attacking lineout.

10th Min: Building attacking momentum now as we’re awarded our first penalty in the Park half. Willis kicks us to the corner. Big drive coming up.

 

 

 

SCORE: ROSSLYN PARK 0 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 7

 

 

8th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Jack Metcalf takes a lovely wide pass from skipper Craig Willis to glide through the Park defence and score from 15 metres out. Willis kicks the conversion.

 

 

4th Min: Quick start by the home side who continue to apply plenty of attacking pressure in our 22. Our scramble defence is holding firm so far.

 

 

2nd Min: Park have the early possession in this one, winning consecutive penalties in our 22. They kick for the attacking corner.

1st Min: We’re underway at The Rock. It’s a beautiful sunny afternoon in SW London, with a slight breeze.

Welcome to the official LIVE blog from tonight’s preseason fixture against Biarritz.

This page will updated regularly throughout the game so please remember to refresh your page every few minutes (KO 8pm – 7pm UK time).

1st Min: We’re underway here in Biarritz. Great to have you joining us for our first preseason match of the 2022/23 campaign! Humid and sticky conditions should make for a tough contest.

3rd Min: We’re packing down for the first scrum of the match. Biarritz fumbled the ball in the ruck. Craig Hampson feeds the ball into the scrum and Simon Uzokwe picks the ball up and makes his first charge at the Biarritz defence.

4th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! We open the scoring with Hampson slicing through the Biarritz defence to score from 20 metres out. Steven Shingler slots the conversion from directly in front.

SCORE: BIARRITZ 0 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 7

 

10th Min: Biarritz have their first major attacking play, working the ball into our half before winning the penalty. They kick for the lineout, 22 metres out.

12th Min: That’s consecutive penalties for the home side. We’re penalised for offside and the hosts march the ball forward from their lineout maul.

14th Min: TRY BIARRITZ. The hosts scamper through our defence from seven metres out. Conversion successful.

SCORE: BIARRITZ 7 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 7

 

18th Min: Powerful defence by our line forcing the penalty. We’ll look to attack from 45 metres out.

21st Min: Impressive attacking play, building confidence phase by phase. Biarritz are penalised on their 22 metre and Shings will kick for the corner. Score remains tied up at 7-7.

22nd Min: Biarritz win back possession and charge up the field with speed. Our defence needs to hold strong here.

24th Min: TRY BIARRITZ. The hosts swing the ball wide and former Wallaby Henry Speight powers to the corner from 15 metres out. Conversion is missed.

SCORE: BIARRITZ 12 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 7

 

28th Min: Huge defence by our pack, forcing the turnover on our line. Biarritz are penalised and Shings boots the ball into touch, just inside our half.

36 Min: Bit of inaccuracy creeping in for both sides. Humid conditions with a slippery ball means we’ll pack down for another scrum. 25 metres from the Biarritz line. Score remains 12-7 to the hosts.

40th Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! Alun Walker barges his way over from close range. Shings adds the extras with a lovely kick from out wide. We’ll head into the break with a two point lead!

HALF-TIME SCORE: BIARRITZ 12 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 14

 

41st Min: Welcome back for the second half action. We’ve changed our front-row at the break with Will Davis, Kevin O’Byrne and George Davis on the pitch.

44th Min: BIARRITZ YELLOW CARD. The hosts are down to 14 men as we drive the ball towards their line.

49th Min: We overthrow at the lineout and Biarritz steal possession. They then spin the ball wide and boot over deep into our half.

52nd Min: This is turning into a titanic and fierce battle. We’re throwing loads of pressure at Biarritz and they continue to hold firm. The crowd are getting rowdy too!

55th Min: Biarritz are penalised just outside their 22. The referee speaks to their skipper and the infringing player. Big attacking lineout coming up!

58th Min: Score remains tightly locked at Biarritz 12 – Ealing Trailfinders 14 as we make a few changes. Simon Linsell, Dave O’Connor and Jack Digby are on the pitch, replacing today’s skipper Barney Maddison, Bobby De Wee and Simon Uzokwe.

 

67th Min: TRY BIARRITZ. The hosts score from a sharp cross-field kick. The conversion swirls in the wind, hits the upright and bounces through the sticks.

SCORE: BIARRITZ 19 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 14

 

69th Min: Jack Metcalf and Dan Lancaster are on for their first appearance in Ealing colours. The pair replace Jonah Holmes and Steven Shingler.

71st Min: TRY EALING TRAILFINDERS! With his first touch of the match Jack Metcalf slices through the Biarritz defence to score under the sticks. Lancaster slots the conversion and we’re back in front!

SCORE: BIARRITZ 19 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 21

 

74th Min: Here come the hosts. They are working their way back into our half. Time to hold firm lads!

75th Min: Phew….Biarritz are pinned for a forward pass. It’s our scrum feed as we look to move the ball back out of our half. Score remains 19-21.

77th Min: Monster scrum by our pack to win the penalty! Lancaster then boots the ball way up field.

79th Min: Nervy stuff here as Biarritz attack with pace up towards half-way.

80th Min: YELLOW CARD EALING TRAILFINDERS. Jack Digby is sent to the bin for a dangerous tackle. Biarritz will take the shot at goal from 50 metres to win the game…

80th Min: PENALTY SUCCESSFUL BIARRITZ. Heartbreak at the death. Biarritz slot their penalty kick from 50 out to win the game.

FINAL SCORE: BIARRITZ 22 – EALING TRAILFINDERS 21

Director of Rugby Ben Ward has named a strong team for the club’s opening preseason friendly away at Biarritz tomorrow night.

The game, which kicks off at the Parc Des Sports Aguilera at 8pm (7pm BST), will be the first chance to see some new faces in Green and White.

Up front, there is the experienced trio of Kyle Whyte, Alun Walker and Lewis Thiede who will look to gain dominance at the set-piece.

Off the back of his strong leadership display during the Championship Cup, Barney Maddison will skipper the side from the second-row, where he will pack down alongside Bobby De Wee.

The back-row sees the first of some of the new faces, with Rob Farrar starting on the blindside and Carlo Tizzano taking the spot on the openside. After an incredibly impressive display on the flank last season, Simon Uzokwe showcases his versatility by shifting to number 8.

Craig Hampson will start at scrum-half, while newly appointed Club Captain Steven Shingler takes the fly-half shirt. In the midfield, Reuben Bird-Tulloch will start at inside centre after impressing throughout preseason and is partnered by the powerful Max Bodilly.

The back-three promises to be an exciting trio with Luke Daniels on one wing, David Johnston at fullback and new-signing and Welsh international Jonah Holmes on the other wing.

Among the replacements new boys, Kevin O’Byrne, Will Montgomery, Ollie Fox and Jack Metcalf will all be looking to show their quality as they fight for a starting spot ahead of the first league game of the season at home against Doncaster on Saturday 10th September (click here for tickets).

If you fancy a last minute trip out to the South of France, tickets for the game are still available here. If you can’t be there in person, we will be covering the game on our Twitter feed, across our social media platforms and via a live blog on our website.

We will also be travelling to Rosslyn Park on Saturday (20th August) where there is free entry on the gate. Team news for that game will be out on Friday.

Team to face Biarritz:

15. David Johnston

14. Jonah Holmes

13. Max Bodilly

12. Reuben Bird-Tulloch

11. Luke Daniels

10. Steven Shingler

9. Craig Hampson

1. Kyle Whyte

2. Alun Walker

3. Lewis Thiede

4. Bobby De Wee

5. Barney Maddison (C)

6. Rob Farrar

7. Carlo Tizzano

8. Simon Uzokwe

16. Kevin O’Byrne

17. Will Davis

18. George Davis

19. Simon Linsell

20. David O’Connor

21. Ollie Fox

22. Dan Lancaster

23. Will Montgomery

24. Jack Digby

25. Pat Howard

26. Jack Metcalf

27. Angus Kernohan

Ealing Trailfinders are pleased to to reveal that Steven Shingler has been appointed the new Club Captain for the 2022/23 season.

The fly-half has excelled in West London ever since he made the move over to Trailfinders Sports Club.

Steven started his career at home in Wales playing for Llanelli RFC, where he earned his first of 14 caps for Wales U20. In 2011 he signed for London Irish for his first stint in English Rugby. After making 47 appearances there he headed back to Wales with the Scarlets and stayed there for three years, playing 75 times and scoring an impressive 348 points.

In 2016, he headed east of Llanelli to join rivals Cardiff Blues where he scored 205 points in 60 appearances whilst battling with the likes of Gareth Anscombe for the starting shirt.

Having amassed 36 appearances for the Trailfinders since joining in 2019, Steven has become a clear leader within the squad, both in terms of his words and in terms of his actions in training and on the pitch.

After being told about his new role at the club, he said: “It’s a huge privilege to be named Club Captain for the season. Rayn (Smid) has done a fantastic job since I’ve been here and he got up and introduced me in the team meeting and I know he’ll continue to have an impact here. The challenge for me now is carrying on all the great work from Rayn and ensuring that we are successful this year.

“I’m really excited for what we can all achieve. We’ve had a good crop of new boys in and I think we’re probably a stronger squad than we were last year, it’s now just about creating a culture and an environment where we can achieve our aims this season.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward said: “After listening to input from the players and staff, Shings (Steven Shingler) was the outstanding choice to be our captain for the upcoming season.

“Although he is our Club Captain, we’ve fortunate to have many impressive individuals here who are all leaders in their own way. Because of this, each week we’ll pick a team based purely on merit and we will select a match-day captain based on who we think will be the best choice to lead the lads for that game.”

Watch the moment he was announced in front of the squad and listen to what he had to say about the privilege of being named skipper via our YouTube channel

The summer edition of the Ealing Trailfinders Times is out now. Check it out for the latest news, interviews and players to watch ahead of the 2022/23 season!

Inside this edition, new Director of Women’s Rugby Giselle Mather explains why she made the switch over to Ealing Trailfinders, Simon Uzokwe talks about what he does away from the game, there’s a further insight into the class of 2022, an update on our community work and loads more.

To read click here: issuu.com/ealingtrailfinders

After almost three months away, Ealing Trailfinders are back in action next week as we travel to Biarritz for an exciting preseason encounter.

The trip to the Basque Country is the first of four friendlies before the Green and Whites begin their Championship title defence at home to Doncaster Knights on Saturday 10th September.

Thursday’s game at the Parc des Sports Aguiléra will be closely followed by a match at the Rock against Rosslyn Park on Saturday 20th August. The bank holiday weekend will be welcomed in by a trip to the Athletic Ground as we face Richmond in an evening kick-off on Friday 26th August. Our final preseason fixture gives us the chance to welcome URC opposition to Trailfinders Sports Club as we host Zebre Parma on Saturday 3rd September (click here to purchase tickets).

About The Opposition:

After Steffon Armitage’s kicking contest heroics in the Top 14 promotion playoff that came at the end of the 2020/21 season, last year’s campaign in the top flight was always going to be tough for Biarritz to match.

Their season started relatively strongly, with wins over Racing 92 and Bordeaux Begles in their first three games. However their opposition soon began to work out their strategy and they were only able to pick up two victories in the following nine league games.

The EPCR Challenge Cup bought some positives to their season, as they defeated Zebre Palma and Toulon in the group stages, before falling to a 39-29 home defeat to Wasps in the Round of 16.

The competitive nature of the Top 14 meant that despite their best efforts, Biarritz were only able to pick up one victory in the second half of the season and therefore they were resigned to the bottom of the table and an immediate return to Pro D2.

There has been a large turnover of players in the Basque Country. Steffon Armitage, James Cronin and Francis Saili are three of the 20 players that have left the club over the off season. However they have recruited well, signing Wallaby Joe Tomane, Georgian international Lasha Tabidze and Welsh 7s player Tyler Morgan. These new players will inject extra quality into an already exciting squad, which features the likes of Australian internationals Tevita Kuridrani and Henry Speight.

What To Expect:

Despite their tough campaign last year, Biarritz are still a strong side who are one of the favourites for an automatic return to the Top 14.

Their stadium, Parc des Sports Aguiléra, should be on the rugby bucket list for every to fan to visit. A passionate and vocal crowd fills their 15,000 seater stadium every Saturday and with the game being just a week before their Pro D2 campaign begins on 26th August they will be looking to put in a strong performance.

Match Details:

Biarritz v Ealing Trailfinders

Date: Thursday 18th August

Kick-off time: 8pm (7pm BST)

Location: Parc des Sports Aguiléra

Tickets: https://bit.ly/3BXSA9Z 

Coverage: Live coverage of the game will be available via our Twitter feed and website

Ealing Trailfinders are excited to reveal our 2022/23 home kit for the upcoming Championship season.

Produced and manufactured by Mizuno, the shirt features the iconic green and white hoops, which evolves to a predominately green chest, shoulders and sleeves.

The shirt design represents our commitment to a greener and cleaner environment. The club has worked closely with Mizuno to ensure the home shirt and shorts are manufactured from eco-friendly materials. Recycled plastic bottles have been used to produce the sustainable fabric for the home shirt and shorts. In total 47 plastic bottles have been recycled to produce the fabric for each home shirt, and 27 bottles to produce each pair of shorts.

Click here to watch the shirt reveal video – featuring first-team players Bobby Dee Wee, Kevin O’Byrne, Simon Uzokwe and Craig Willis.

The new home shirt will be on sale to supporters shortly. Click here to purchase 2022/23 match tickets.

We’re excited to welcome Italian giants Zebre to Trailfinders Sports Club on Saturday 3rd September for our final preseason fixture before we kick-off the 2022/23 Championship season.

The fixture will be a unique occasion and great opportunity to test ourselves against a side who regularly play against the best of European Rugby, including Leinster, Munster and La Rochelle.

Ealing Trailfinders vs Zebre – CLICK HERE to purchase tickets

Saturday 3rd September – Kick-off 3pm – Trailfinders Sports Club

2022/23 Season Tickets:

Click here to purchase a 2022/23 Season Ticket (includes entry to the Zebre match, plus 14 home fixtures).

2022/23 Championship Match Tickets:

Tickets are now on sale for all 22/23 Championship fixtures at Trailfinders Sports Club, including our blockbuster league opener against Doncaster Knights on Saturday 10th September. Click here to book your tickets.

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce that prop Kyle Whyte has signed a new long-term contract with the club.

Kyle moved to Trailfinders Sports Club two years ago from league rivals London Scottish after impressing at the Athletic Ground.

He took this fine form from the Exiles with him to West London, as he featured in all but one of the fixtures during the reduced 2020/21 season as the squad made it to the Championship play-offs against Saracens.

Last season he was another regular within the squad, able to start matches or make an impact from the bench, making 18 appearances throughout the 2021/22 campaign.

Commenting on his contract extension, Kyle said: “I’ve loved the last two years and I’m really pleased to be staying at the club. Since I’ve been at Trailfinders I feel I have improved as a player and I can’t wait to kick on and see what we can achieve as a squad.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward, said: “We’re really pleased Kyle has re-signed. He has been a powerful and consistent addition to our squad and will continue to be a crucial part of the team going forward.”

 

Ealing Trailfinders are pleased to announce the signing of scrum-half Jack Grant from Super Rugby side NSW Waratahs.

The 28-year-old arrives at Trailfinders Sports Club in some of the best form of his career. He featured in nine out of the Waratahs 16 Super Rugby fixtures in 2022, starting four games and making an impact off the bench in the other five.

On his first two starts of the season he helped the Waratahs defeat Western Force in round four and the Melbourne Rebels in round five, before finishing off a superb try in round six against the Queensland Reds.

Jack started his career at the Sydney Rays in the National Rugby Championship before shifting over to local league rivals NSW Country Eagles in 2018. He stayed with the Country Eagles for two seasons, playing in every game during the 2019 season, as they just missed out on the play-offs by a single point. In 2020, Jack left Australia to play for the NTT Red Hurricanes in the Japanese Top League, however his time in Osaka was cut short due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Last year, he returned to New South Wales to play for the Waratahs and after finding his feet during the 2021 Super Rugby AU and Super Rugby Pacific campaigns, he has gone from strength to strength as he helped guide the Waratahs to the play-offs this season.

On discussing his decision to join Ealing Trailfinders, Jack said: “I’m pleased to be joining such an ambitious club with such a clear plan of where we want to get to and achieve this season. I’m looking forward to diving into all the new challenges and cultures and enjoying all these new experiences with a smile on my face.”

Director of Rugby Ben Ward added: “Jack is a player who we have been monitoring for sometime and he really impressed when he stepped up for the Waratahs during this season. His kicking game is very strong and he does the basics very well, while giving us the option of playing the game at a different tempo.

“Jack joins an already strong set of scrum-halves and having this competition for places will only drive standards in training and improve the group as a whole.”

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