Ealing Trailfinders vs Rotherham Titans

Match Report

Ealing Trailfinders took their unbeaten run to six matches by running in eight tries against a dogged Rotherham Titans side, who claimed a four-try bonus of their own.

It means Ben Ward’s side stay third in the Greene King IPA Championship with two weeks till their next match, away to Nottingham on Friday 18 November.

Captain Mark Bright started the try-scoring early on and Aled Jenkins and Curtis Wilson both scored a brace of tries. Rhys Lawrence, Luke Daniels and Luke Carter also got on the scoresheet to help take the home side’s points up to the half-century.

Ealing Trailfinders started with the wind in their faces and Rotherham Titans were happy to use their tailwind to build pressure with kicks. They had an early chance to open the scoring, but fly-half Will Robinson hooked a penalty wide.

Instead it was the hosts who scored first. Carter wiggled through a gap, Lawrence took play up to the line and Bright crashed over after the ball was recycled.

Lawrence then added the second soon after to put Ealing Trailfinders well in control before the quarter hour mark.

Rotherham Titans were in the mood to play and Robinson and fullback Will Thomas both looked to try their hands in attack. However, their first points came from loose-head prop Toby Williams as the Yorkshiremen counter-attacked swiftly.

Jenkins hit back though with his fourth of the season, ghosting through the Rotherham Titans defence and Daniels then guaranteed the four-try bonus with a show and go before out-pacing the Titans cover defence.

They maintained the pressure and from another Daniels counter-attack and the fullback set Wilson free to race in to score against his former club.

There was a slow start to the second half and neither side was able to build much momentum, though eventually Rotherham Titans’ flanker Dan Grange was driven over to end the stalemate.

Ealing Trailfinders regathered and after a powerful run from James Cordy-Redden put Titans on the backfoot, Jenkins jinked his way through for his second score. Wilson then grabbed his second when Daniels again set him free to race home in the corner.

Rotherham hooker Luke Cole was driven over from a line-out with 10 minutes to go and it meant that visitors had the scent of a four-try bonus as the clock ticked down.

The home side had the final word though as Carter latched onto Aaron Penberthy’s cross-kick, with the fly-half’s conversion bringing up the half-century of points.

With the last play Cole scored again for Rotherham Titans to ensure they returned north with a losing bonus point.

Scorers
Ealing Trailfinders
Tries (Bright 8, Lawrence 12, Jenkins 22, 56, Daniels 28, Wilson 37, 65, Carter 77), Conversions (Penberthy 12, 22, 28, 56, 77)
Rotherham Titans
Tries (Williams 18, Grange 52, Cole 70, 80), Conversions (Robinson 18, 80)

Ealing Trailfinders
Luke Daniels, James Cordy-Redden, Aled Jenkins, Joe Munro, Curtis Wilson, Aaron Penberthy, Luke Carter; Ignacio Lancuba, Rhys Lawrence, Lewis Thiede, Carwyn Jones, Adam Preocanin, Willie Ryan, Arthur Ellis, Mark Bright (captain)
Reserves
Matt Cornish, James Gibbons, Alex Penny, Harry Casson, Chris York, Alex Walker, Ben Ward

Rotherham Titans
Will Thomas, Dan Tai, Will Goodwin, Will Owen, Jake Henry, Will Robinson, George Tressider; Toby Williams, Luke Cole, Joe Rees, Ollie Curry, Tom Hicks, Buster Lawrence, Dan Grange, Tom MacDonald
Reserves
Joe Graham, Tom Williams, Danny Herriott, Toby Salmon, James Tyas, Matt Walsh, Dan Kelly

Referee – Simon Harding
Attendance – 638