Ealing Trailfinders vs Ampthill

Match Report

Ealing Trailfinders got their second consecutive victory in the Greene King IPA Championship after a dominant 77-26 win over Ampthill.

The West Londoners scored 11 tries in total as the attack fired in impressive fashion to give Ben Ward’s side a confidence boosting win.

The hosts got off to the perfect start and Jordan Els opened the scoring after just four minutes to give them the lead, the South African broke away from a powerful maul to dot the ball down. Steven Shingler’s conversion was the first of seven from his boot to put them 7-0 ahead.

The lead doubled with eight minutes on the clock in identical fashion, with another maul allowing Dave McKern to score. Tommy Bell then gathered Elijah Niko’s audacious offload for try number three as the Green and Whites started to pull away, playing some scintillating rugby.

Ampthill got on the scoreboard at the end of the first quarter as Henri Williams went over from close range, but that would be as good as it got for the visitors who saw three tries conceded in the remainder of the first half.

Alun Walker scored two tries in 10 minutes from rolling mauls to extend the lead to 35-7, and Pat Howard then powered over from just two metres out to give his side a 42-7 advantage at the break.

The second half started in similar fashion to the first, with Reon Joseph scoring the try of the match to put the result beyond doubt. Steven Shingler’s cross field kick was judged to perfection, and Joseph gathered it before racing clear from 40 metres to the delight of the home crowd.

Tommy Bell then brought up the half century as he was the beneficiary of Jordy Reid’s inside pass to score under the posts for his second of the match. Ampthill crossed for their second shorty after as Sam Baker pounced on a counter attack as the game headed in to the final quarter.

Craig Hampson had a clear run to the line with an overlap on the right wing, but then Ampthill registered a deserved bonus point as Rob Langley and Sam Hanks both scored from close range.

There was still time for Lewis Jones and Matt Cornish to add more gloss to the scoreline with tries number 10 and 11. Jones gathered an offload and ran through from just inside the 22, before Cornish once again powered over from a maul to end the game in the same way it started.

That confirmed a 77-26 victory, and ensured that the Trailinders head in to next Friday’s derby at London Scottish in fine form.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Tommy Bell 14 Elijah Niko 13 Lewis Jones 12 Pat Howard 11 Reon Joseph 10 Steven Shingler (replaced by Craig Willis, 65 mins) 9 Jordan Burns (replaced by Craig Hampson, 65 mins) 1 Jordan Els (replaced by Jake Ellwood, 40 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 50 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills (replaced by George Davis, 60 mins) 4 Dave McKern 5 James Cannon (replaced by Ben West, 50 mins) 6 Adam Korczyk (replaced by Shane Buckley, 55 mins) 7 Jordy Reid 8 Rayn Smid © (replaced by Kieran Murphy, 65 mins)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jake Ellwood 18 George Davis 19 Ben West 20 Kieran Murphy 21 Craig Hampson 22 Craig Willis 23 Shane Buckley

Scorers:

Tries: Jordan Els (4 minutes) Dave McKern (7 minutes) Tommy Bell (14, 49 minutes) Alun Walker (21, 33 minutes) Pat Howard (40 minutes) Reon Joseph (46 minutes) Craig Hampson (70 minutes) Lewis Jones (79 minutes) Matt Cornish (80 minutes)

Conversions: Steven Shingler (4, 7, 14, 21, 33, 40 46, 49 minutes) Craig Willis (70, 79, 80 minutes)

Yellow Card: Pat Howard

Ampthill:

15 Karim Lynch 14 Spencer Sutherland 13 Jarryd Sage 12 Sam Hanks 11 Sam Baker 10 Louis Grimoldby © 9 Darryl Veenendaal 1 Soane Tonga’uiha 2 Dave Ward 3 Luvuyo Pupuma 4 Billy Johnson 5 Henri Williams 6 Jac Arthur 7 Joe Bercis 8 Sam Hudson

Replacements:

16 Aleki Lutui 17 Ben Christie 18 Matt Collins 19 Rob Langley 20 Facundo Dominguez 21 Leon Fukofuka 22 Serafin Bordoli 23 Kwaku Asiedu

Scorers:

Tries: Henri Williams (19 minutes) Sam Baker (50 minutes) Rob Langley (71 minutes) Sam Hanks (76 minutes)

Conversions: Louis Grimoldby (19, 71, 76 minutes)

Yellow Card: Jac Arthur

Referee: Neil Chivers

Attendance: 680

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 42-7 Ampthill

Soane’s Kitchen Man of the Match: Reon Joseph