Bedford Blues vs Ealing Trailfinders

Match Report

Ealing Trailfinders beat Bedford Blues 41-21, opening their Championship campaign in fine fashion.

A brace from Cian Kelleher and scores from Reuben Bird Tulloch, Will Montgomery, Barney Maddison and Max Bodilly secured all 5 points for the away side.

This sets them up very well as they head int round two of the Championship season away to Hartpury.

The Blues opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Sean French received a sumptuous cross-field kick from fly-half Will Maisey to put the home side ahead. Maisey converted the extra points.

Bedford’s ill-discipline early on in the first quarter led to both Jordan Onojaife and captain Alex Day being sent to the sin bin in consecutive minutes.

Trailfinders quickly capitalised on their extra men as Cian Kelleher scored uncontested on the wing following a 5m scrum. Craig Willis’ conversion unluckily bounced off the post, and the home team kept the lead.

This was short-lived, however, as ex-Bedford Blue Reuben Bird-Tulloch crossed the whitewash after breaking through the line. Willis’s conversion was good, and Trailfinders took a 12-7 lead.

A scintillating 25-metre breakaway from Will Montgomery pushed Trailfinders down the pitch.

Bedford’s discipline did not improve, as they conceded a penalty after the carry, and Oisin Heffernan received their third yellow card of the half.

Trailfinders again took advantage of the extra numbers, as Cian Kelleher scored his second try of the day in the corner. Willis converted the extra points with a brilliant kick from the corner.

It was the 14-man Blues who scored the last try of the half. Kieran Curran took advantage of a gap in the Trailfinders defence to score from 20 metres. The conversion was successful, and the teams went into the half 14-19.

The second half got off to a slow start as both sides struggled to get going. In the 54th minute, Trailfinders benefitted from yet another penalty, and from the resulting maul, Will Montgomery bundled the ball over the line. Willis slotted home the conversion, extending Trailfinders’ lead to 12 points.

Bedford answered back.

This time, Trailfinders conceded a penalty on the halfway line. After the resulting lineout, Bedford put together a flowing move, and Ethan Grayson stretched out to place the ball over the line. Maisey’s added the extra points to leave the score 21-26.

It was a tense last 10 minutes. A penalty resulting from a scrum in the Bedford half allowed Trailfinders to extend the lead by three points.

Bedford’s poor discipline continued, and a penalty allowed Trailfinders inside the Blues 22. After multiple successive phases, Captain Barney Maddison all but secured the win, scoring their fifth try of the game.

Trailfinders were not done. As the clock hit 80 minutes, Josh Taylor made a brilliant 50-metre break through the Blues’ defence.

He was brought down just short of the line, but two passes later, Max Bodilly scored in the corner to end the game.