Ealing Trailfinders vs Leinster

Ealing Trailfinders won the British & Irish Cup for the first time with a historic 22-7 victory over Leinster at Vallis Way.

In what were extremely challenging conditions the West Londoners managed the game impressively and took control of the match in the second half thanks to tries from Joe Munro and Mark Bright.

Luke Daniels opened the scoring after a cagey opening to give Ben Ward’s men the lead on the 15 minute mark, but Leinster responded straight away to take the lead.

A penalty from the restart allowed them to kick to the corner, and they drove over the line from the rolling maul to score the first try of the match. Ciaran Frawley’s conversion gave the Dublin outfit a 7-3 advantage.

The first half remained a nervy encounter, but after securing dominance up front the Trailfinders took the lead just before the break. A series of scrums on the Leinster line meant they were awarded penalty after penalty, and eventually after the ball spat out of the side it allowed Luke Carter to dive over the line. Daniels converted, and gave his side a 10-7 lead at the break.

The West Londoners dominated the second half and were winning the battle at the breakdown as the match turned early in the final 40 minutes in their favour.

Leinster had two men sent to the sin bin in quick succession, and from there the Trailfinders scored two quick tries to put them in firm control.

Joe Munro gave his side some breathing space with an outstanding try after 57 minutes. The ball came off the top of the lineout and he combined with James Cordy Redden, whose audacious offload allowed the big centre to smash his way over the line. Daniels converted to open up a 10 point lead.

That lead was then extended when Mark Bright scored just two minutes later to put the result beyond doubt. A maul was brought down just short, but the captain picked the ball up from close range and stepped the final defender to send the Vallis Way crowd of 1386 in to raptures.

From then on the half backs of Luke Carter and Shane O’Leary continuously kicked in to the Leinster territory to ensure there was no danger on the try-line in the closing stages, and the Trailfinders held out for a memorable victory which was met with jubilant scenes all around Vallis Way.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Shane O’Leary 9 Luke Carter 1 Will Davis (replaced by James Gibbons, 52 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Rhys Lawrence, 75 mins) 3 Lewis Thiede (replaced by Mark Tampin, 27 mins) 4 Sam Dickinson 5 Harry Casson 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Rayn Smid (replaced by Dan Temm, 70 mins) 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Rhys Lawrence 17 James Gibbons 18 Mark Tampin 19 Oli Curry 20 Dan Temm 21 Calum Waters 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: Luke Carter (38 minutes) Joe Munro (57 minutes) Mark Bright (61 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (38, 57 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (14 minutes)

Leinster Rugby:

15. Jack Kelly 14. Adam Byrne 13. Gavin Mullin 12. Conor O’Brien 11. Tommy O’Brien 10. Ciarán Frawley 9. Charlie Rock 1. Ed Byrne 2. Bryan Byrne (c) 3. Vakh Abdaladze 4. Mick Kearney 5. Ian Nagle 6. Josh Murphy 7. Peadar Timmins 8. Max Deegan

Replacements:

16. Sean McNulty 17. Peter Dooley 18. Jack Aungier 19. Caelan Doris 20. Will Connors 21. Hugh O’Sullivan 22. Tom Daly

Scorers:

Tries: (18 minutes)

Conversions: Ciaran Frawley (18 minutes)

Yellow Card: Peter Dooley, Tommy O’Brien

Match Officials:

Referee: Craig Evans

Assistant Referees: Mike English & Dewi Phillips

Fourth Official: Darryl Chapman

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 10 – 7 Leinster Rugby

Attendance: 1386

Ealing Trailfinders vs Bedford Blues

Ealing Trailfinders booked their place in the British & Irish Cup Final after an emphatic 36-16 victory over Bedford Blues at Vallis Way.

The West Londoners were scintillating in the first-half and raced in to a 26-6 lead after just 25 minutes after tries from Piers O’Conor, Alun Walker, Luke Carter and Harry Casson.

Mark Bright then added another five-pointer after the break to put the result beyond doubt in front of 1027 in the sunshine.

Will Hooley’s early penalty gave the visitors a 3-0 advantage with five minutes on the clock, but from then on the game was dominated by the hosts.

Piers O’Conor opened the scoring after 10 minutes, after a break from inside the 22 saw James Cordy Redden race down the wing and then pass inside to the centre who ran clear to slide over the line. Luke Daniels converted to edge his side ahead for the first time in the match.

Hooley then kicked another penalty, but then Ben Ward’s men turned the screw to put one foot in the final with a spell of three tries in five minutes.

Alun Walker went over the line from a rolling maul after a huge touch find from Shane O’Leary, and with Daniels’ conversion the lead was now eight points.

Then the hooker showed incredible skill to dummy and step past three defenders before offloading to Luke Carter who carried over from five metres out.

Straight from the restart another try had the home supporters in raptures as the hosts scored again. Carter broke from gathering the drop kick, and had Harry Casson there on his shoulder who was able to beat the last man to dive over. Daniels converted, and all of a sudden the Trailfinders had a 26-6 advantage.

That lead was nearly extended further again as Dan Temm broke down the wing, but his pass inside went forward and Bedford were able to end what had been a relentless 10 minute period.

Hooley kicked another penalty just before the break, but the hosts held a commanding 26-9 advantage at half time.

The Trailfinders showed no signs of letting off in the second-half, with Mark Bright going over for the fifth try of the match to all but book his team’s place in the final. Another huge O’Leary touch find took them up to the line, and then the captain drove over from the rolling maul to mark his 50th appearance for the club with a try. Daniels’ conversion took the lead up to 24 points.

Bedford then responded as they looked for a way back in to the match, but the home defence held firm to deny them any momentum.

Joe Munro went within inches of scoring after being dragged down just short, and then the visitors were reduced to 14 men when Will Carrick Smith was red carded for a headbutt.

Mike Rayer’s man went over for a consolation try as Michael LeBourgeois scored under the posts from first phase ball, but a Luke Daniels penalty rounded off the scoring with a 36-16 victory.

Ealing Trailfinders will now face Leinster in the Final on the weekend of 12th May, with the location and date to be confirmed in the coming days.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Shane O’Leary 9 Luke Carter 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Will Davis 45 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Rhys Lawrence, 65 mins) 3 Lewis Thiede (replaced by Mark Tampin, 45 mins) 4 Sam Dickinson (replaced by Oli Curry, 70 mins) 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Llewelyn Jones, 65 mins) 6 Dan Temm 7 Rayn Smid 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Rhys Lawrence 17 Will Davis 18 Mark Tampin 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Oli Curry 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: Piers O’Conor (11 minutes) Alun Walker (19 minutes) Luke Carter (22 minutes) Harry Casson (23 minutes) Mark Bright (46 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (11, 19, 23, 46 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (78 minutes)

Bedford Blues:

15. Rich Lane 14. Howard Packman 13. Rory Hutchinson 12. Michael LeBourgeois (c) 11. Dean Adamson 10. Will Hooley 9. Lee Dickson 1. Sean McCarthy 2. Tom Lindsay 3. Ben Cooper 4. Jordan Onojaife 5. Will Carrick-Smith 6. Alex Rae 7. Josh Buggea 8. Huw Worthington

Replacements:

16. George Edgson 17. Camilo Parilli-Ocampo 18. Alex Penny 19. Ed Taylor 20. Ben Adams 21. Jordan Burns 22. Harry Sheppard

Scorers:

Tries: Michael LeBourgeois (75 minutes)

Conversions: Will Hooley (75 minutes)

Penalties: Will Hooley (5, 14, 40 minutes)

Red Card: Will Carrick Smith

Match Officials:

Referee: Christophe Ridley

Assistant Referees: Simon Harding & Phil Watters

Fourth Official: Rob Warburton

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 26 – 9 Bedford Blues

Attendance: 1027

Storm Man of the Match: Sam Dickinson

Ealing Trailfinders vs Cornish Pirates

Ealing Trailfinders advanced through to the semi-finals after a nail-biting 28-25 victory over Cornish Pirates at Vallis Way.

The West Londoners held on in the closing stages as two late tries from the Pirates brought them back in to the match, but they managed to stop the onslaught and qualify to take on Bedford Blues in the semi.

Tries from Sam Dickinson, James Cordy Redden, Luke Daniels and Kieran Murphy ensured the victory as Ben Ward’s men registered their 13th home win of the campaign.

After a tight opening to the match which reflected the significance of the game, Sam Dickinson opened the scoring with a try from close range.

A five metre lineout was brought down, and the second-rower broke away to rumble over the line to score his first try for the club. Luke Daniels, who was 100% from the tee all afternoon converted to put his side 7-0 ahead.

Will Cargill got the Pirates on the board with a penalty from 25 metres, but a try from James Cordy Redden gave the hosts some breathing space on the 20 minute mark.

Lewis Jones broke through the defence, and an impressive offload gave the winger a free run over the line to dive under the posts. Daniels again converted, extending the lead to 14-3.

In challenging weather conditions both sides were kicking the ball at every opportunity, and the Pirates came back in to the match just before the break to cut the gap to just a point.

Marlen Walker scored their first try of the match with five minutes until half time after the ball landed in his hands from a lineout, and Cargill’s conversion made it 14-10. Another penalty from the fly-half with the final play of the half made it 14-13 at the break.

Just like last week the Trailfinders came flying out of the blocks in the second half, and two early tries put them in control of the match.

Luke Daniels read a long looping pass and intercepted before racing clear from 50 metres just seconds after the restart, and he converted his try to extend the advantage to 21-13.

Just two minutes later captain Kieran Murphy scored the fourth try to edge further ahead. After going through the phases deep in the Pirates 22 the ball found the skipper who smashed his way through the last defender to score. Daniels converted, making it 28-13 with half an hour remaining.

The Pirates’ comeback began in the 68th minute as Matt Evans broke through three defenders to give himself a clear run to the line, and with the conversion there were just eight points in it.

That gap was cut to just three points with another try to increase the tension at Vallis Way. A five metre lineout gave the visitors the platform, and Billy Keast drove over to score. The conversion crucially went wide, meaning there was more than just a penalty between the sides.

Ben Ward’s side kept the ball for the final two minutes as they looked to run down the clock, however a knock on gave the Pirates one last chance. However the ball was dropped, meaning the crowd erupted and celebrated a passage through to the semi finals.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon 14 Luke Daniels 13 Lewis Jones 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Shane O’Leary 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Dan Grant Adamson, 73 mins) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Alex Lundberg, 68 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 65 mins) 3 Lewis Thiede (replaced by Mark Tampin, 60 mins) 4 Sam Dickinson 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Morgan Allen, 78 mins) 6 Kieran Murphy (c) 7 Rayn Smid (replaced by Dan Temm, 68 mins) 8 Mark Bright

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Alex Lundberg 18 Mark Tampin 19 Morgan Allen 20 Dan Temm 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Piers O’Conor

Scorers:

Tries: Sam Dickinson (8 minutes) James Cordy Redden (16 minutes) Luke Daniels (41 minutes) Kieran Murphy (46 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (8, 16, 41, 46 minutes)

Cornish Pirates:

15 Kyle Moyle, 14 Alex O’Meara, 13 Dan Koster, 12 Nicolas De Battista (capt), 11 Matt Evans, 10 Will Cargill, 9 Alex Day; 1 Marlen Walker, 2 Sam Matavesi, 3 Christian Judge, 4 Toby Freeman, 5 Brett Beukeboom, 6, Tom Lawday, 7 John Stevens, 8 Tom Duncan.

Replacements:

16 Dan Frost, 17 Jack Andrew, 18 Billy Keast, 19 Josh Caulfield, 20 Dan Lee, 21 Laurence May, 22 Toby May

Scorers:

Tries: Marlen Walker (36 minutes) Matt Evans (68 minutes) Billy Keast (73 minutes)

Conversions: Will Cargill (36, 68 minutes)

Penalties: Will Cargill (11, 39 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Christophe Ridley

Assistant Referees: Sara Cox & Simon McConnell

Fourth Official: Nick Marshall

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 14 – 13 Cornish Pirates

Attendance: 757

Storm Man of the Match: Kieran Murphy

Richmond vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders ensured they will be top seeds for the knockout stages of the British and Irish Cup with a clinical 24-0 victory over Richmond at the Athletic Ground.

In wet and windy conditions an expansive game was never looking likely, but tries from Alun Walker, Luke Daniels, Peter Lydon and James Cordy Redden meant that Ben Ward’s men recorded their sixth win from six matches in the competition.

Despite the bonus-point win it was the defence that received most of the plaudits, limiting Richmond to a scoreless 80 minutes after a relentless performance.

The West Londoners got off to the perfect start with a try from Alun Walker giving them an early lead. A penalty was kicked to the corner and the rolling maul powered towards the line before the Scottish hooker broke away to score. Luke Daniels converted, and gave his side a 7-0 advantage after six minutes.

Daniels went within inches of extending the lead just three minutes later, but James Cordy Redden’s kick ahead was gathered by a stretching Richmond arm who denied a certain try.

Rob Kirby had a chance to put the hosts on the scoreboard but his penalty fell just short, before Daniels was denied again by the bounce of the ball as the Trailfinders looked to extend their advantage.

With the rain still falling both teams used the boot at every opportunity to gain territory, but the score would remain unchanged in the first half as Ben Ward’s men headed back to the changing rooms with a 7-0 lead at the break.

There was barely anything between the two teams in the first half and it looked too close to call, however in the third quarter the Trailfinders would pull away with some exceptional wet-weather rugby to put the result beyond doubt.

The in-form Luke Daniels scored a brilliant individual try on the 45 minute mark to give his team some breathing space. A kick out wide was gathered by the full-back on the touchline, and he bounced his way past a number of defenders before racing away from outside the 22 to dive over the line. The conversion went wide but the visitors now held a 12-0 lead, which in the conditions was a commanding one.

Just three minutes later Peter Lydon crossed the try-line to extend the lead further. With the ball deep in the 22, instead of going through the forwards the ball was spun wide and Lydon stepped his way past the final defender to bundle his way over the line. Daniels converted, and edged the Trailfinders 19-0 in front.

The bonus point score was secured with 55 minutes on the clock as James Cordy Redden marked his return to the starting line-up with a try. A set move from the top of a lineout with a number of dummy runners saw Daniels in acres of space, and with a two on one he drew in the final defender before releasing Cordy Redden who scored in the corner. The conversion went wide, but the fourth try all but confirmed the Trailfinders’ place as top seeds for the knockout stages.

With the bonus point in the bag it was the defence that took over as Richmond looked for a way back in to the match, but the forwards absorbed a huge amount of pressure to ensure that the clean sheet was intact.

A penalty earned with just four minutes remaining was met with huge cheers from the players after soaking up phase after phase, which summed up the defensive effort throughout the 80 minutes.

Referee Christophe Ridley blew the final whistle to confirm the victory, and a very satisfying one for the travelling supporters.

The result means that Vallis Way will host a Quarter Final on the weekend of 30/31st March, with opposition and the exact date to be confirmed in due course. Stay tuned to our social media channels to stay up to date with all the appropriate information regarding the knockout stages.

Richmond:

15 Rob Kirby 14 Martin Freeman 13 Cameron Mitchell (c) 12 Ronnie McLean (replaced by Rory Damant) 11 Jordan Simpson-Hefft 10 James Swan 9 Luc Jones 1 Jeremy Cunnew 2 Ross Grimstone 3 Joe Tarrant 4 Chris Davies 5 Alex Humfrey 6 Jake Parker 7 Jesse Liston 8 Harison Edwards

Replacements:

16 Jason Phipps 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke 18 Myles Scott 19 Rhodri Adamson 20 Rory Damant 21 Michael Kovacic 22 Craig Trenier

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Will Harries (replaced by Peter Lydon, 13 mins) 13 Lewis Jones 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Rory Clegg 9 Grayson Hart (replaced by Dan Grant Adamson, 70 mins) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Will Davis, 57 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 67 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Sam Rodman, 57 mins) 4 Barney Maddison 5 Harry Casson (c) 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Rayn Smid (replaced by Dan Temm, 67 mins) 8 Morgan Allen

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Will Davis 18 Sam Rodman 19 Dan Temm 20 Mark Bright 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (6 minutes) Luke Daniels (46 minutes) Peter Lydon (50 minutes) James Cordy Redden (56 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (6, 50 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Christophe Ridley

Assistant Referees: Nigel Carrick & Lionel Spooner

Fourth Official: Ieuan Davies

Half Time Score: Richmond 0 – 7 Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders vs Connacht

Ealing Trailfinders stormed their way to the British and Irish Cup Quarter Finals with a 78-12 victory over Connacht at Vallis Way.

Ben Ward’s side scored twelve tries in a relentless attacking display as they booked their place in the knockout stages with a big win over the youthful Irish outfit.

A hat-trick from Will Harries as well as scores from Miles Mantella, Alun Walker, Joe Munro, Morgan Allen, Dan Temm, Rhys Lawrence, Lewis Jones and a double from Luke Carter saw the hosts record their most rampant performance of the campaign so far.

It was Connacht who started strongly and took an early lead after Adam Leavy found space on the left wing, but that was to be as good as it got for them as the Trailfinders hit back emphatically.

Miles Mantella got the hosts on the score board after a long range kick from Luke Daniels bounced up perfectly for the winger who had the pace to beat the defenders and dive over the line. Just five minutes later the West Londoners took the lead as Alun Walker continued his impressive scoring form to stroll over the line in the corner. Rayn Smid drew in the last defender before allowing the Scot to dot the ball down.

The try bonus-point was then secured in quick succession as a Will Harries double ensured the full five points. It was again Smid who made the dominant carry and released the Welshman to run in unattended, and just three minutes later Harries pounced on a loose ball inside the 22 to score from close range.

There was still time for one more try in the first half and it was the best of the lot as Lewis Thiede broke away straight from the restart before passing to Luke Carter who raced away from the defenders and showed brilliant pace to run clear from over 50 metres out. Daniels converted to give the hosts a 31-7 lead at the break.

The Trailfinders showed no signs of slowing up in the second half and started in similar fashion, with Joe Munro bundling over from close range just two minutes after the restart to extend the lead further.

Carter got his second of the match just before the hour mark as a huge break from Storm Man of the Match Kieran Murphy took him right up to the line, and the scrum-half dummied to dot down from just a metre out.

Will Harries then completed his hat trick and brought up the 50 point mark with the try of the match ashe chipped over the top of the defence and gathered his kick to score a try of the season contender.

Morgan Allen used all of his strength to crash over the line after a strong carry from Munro gave the Welsh number eight some space to run in to as he went over for the ninth try of the afternoon.

Connacht responded with a consolation try from Stacey Ili as the clock ticked towards the 65 minute mark. Rory Scholes found space out wide and passed to Ili who carried over the whitewash.

There was still time for the Trailfinders to put even more gloss on the scoreboard as they registered three more tries in the final 10 minutes.

Dan Temm’s quick thinking saw him take advantage of a quickly-taken lineout and use his pace to run around the outside of the defence to the try-line, and just minutes later a a smart one-two at the front of a lineout saw Rhys Lawrence squeeze over as an intelligent move took the defence by surprise.

Lewis Jones rounded off the scoring with a long-range try in the final play of the match as he beat a number of defenders on the way to the line from 40 metres out. Daniels’ final conversion ensured that the score ended 78-12 to the hosts.

Ben Ward’s men now head to the Athletic Ground to face Richmond next weekend as the pool stages come to a close in Round Six.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Will Harries 13 Lewis Jones 12 Joe Munro 11 Miles Mantella (replaced by Peter Lydon, 53 mins) 10 Rory Clegg 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Dan Grant Adamson, 67 mins) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Djustice Sears Duru, 56 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Rhys Lawrence, 57 mins) 3 Lewis Thiede (replaced by Sam Rodman, 47 mins) 4 Barney Maddison 5 Llewelyn Jones 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Rayn Smid (replaced by Dan Temm, 58 mins) 8 Mark Bright (c) (replaced by Morgan Allen, 58 mins)

Replacements:

16 Rhys Lawrence 17 Djustice Sears Duru 18 Sam Rodman 19 Dan Temm 20 Morgan Allen 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: Miles Mantella (15 minutes) Alun Walker (23 minutes) Will Harries (32, 38, 59 minutes) Luke Carter (40, 56 minutes) Joe Munro (43 minutes) Morgan Allen (62 minutes) Dan Temm (70 minutes) Rhys Lawrence (75 minutes) Lewis Jones (79 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (15, 38, 40, 43, 56, 62, 70, 75, 79 minutes)

Connacht Eagles:

15 Matt Byrne 14 Rory Scholes 13 Stacey Illi 12 Kieran Joyce 11 Adam Leavy 10 Andrew Deegan 9 Conor McKeon 1 Conan O’Donnell 2 Dylan Tierney 3 Conor Kenny 4 Peter Claffey 5 Cillian Gallagher 6 Sean Masterson 7 James Connolly 8 Paul Boyle (c)

Replacements:

16 Callum Torpey 17 Matt Burke 18 Conor Kyne 19 Niall Murray 20 Ryan Feehily 21 Luke Carty 22 Michael O’Reilly

Scorers:

Tries: Adam Leavy (11 minnutes) Stacey Ili (66 minutes)

Conversions: Andrew Deegan (11 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Dewi Phillips

Assistant Referees: Rob Warburton & Bill Burton

Fourth Official: Alexis Manley

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 31 – 7 Connacht Eagles

Attendance: 584

Storm Man of the Match: Kieran Murphy

Ealing Trailfinders vs Rotherham Titans

Ealing Trailfinders made it four wins from four in the British and Irish Cup with a 35-19 bonus-point victory over a spirited Rotherham Titans at Vallis Way.

In an error-strewn match due to the adverse weather conditions it was the hosts that were able to secure the victory with tries from Grayson Hart, Kieran Murphy, Lewis Robling, Morgan Allen and Arthur Ellis.

The Titans crossed the line on three occasions with Charlie Maddison, Ben Foley and Jonny Murphy getting on the scoreboard for the much improved Rotherham outfit.

Grayson Hart opened the scoring after just seven minutes to put his side in front. A five metre scrum gave the West Londoners a perfect attacking position, and Hart was able to bundle over from close range to score for the second consecutive week. Peter Lydon, who was 100% from the tee converted to edge them 7-0 ahead.

The hosts were playing with real intent in the early stages and kept the intensity high, which was shown when captain Kieran Murphy scored an impressive try on the 20 minute mark. James Cordy Redden gathered a high ball before passing inside to Arthur Ellis who smashed his way through the defence and drew in the last man, allowing Murphy to run through in the corner.

Lewis Robling then scored the third try after a quick dart down the short side caught the defence off guard and allowed the centre to run clear from outside the 22. The conversion extended the lead to 21-0 on the half hour mark, and there was time to secure the bonus point before the break.

Morgan Allen gathered the ball from the base of a five metre scrum, used his power to break through the defender and bundle over the line from close range.

Rotherham responded before half time and got a deserved try with the last play of the half. A five metre lineout then turned in to a maul which powered towards the line, and Charlie Maddison broke away to score their first of the match. Lee Millar’s touchline conversion meant that his team went down the tunnel trailing 28-7.

Andy Key’s side dominated possession and territory in the second-half, and got the first score of the final 40 minutes with half an hour remaining.

The hosts had the ball but it was ripped away from them and Ben Foley was the beneficiary, with a clear run to the line from half way to dot down.

The Trailfinders replied straight away with a score from Arthur Ellis to put the West Londoners over the 30 point mark. The flanker got the ball 30 metres from the line, and stepped a number of defenders on his way to one of the standout moments of the match. The conversion meant that they had a 35-12 lead before the heavens opened with torrential rain at Vallis Way.

Aaron Penberthy saw a chance pass him by after the ball spilled out of a scrum but the ball wouldn’t sit up for the fly-half as it fell in to a Rotherham hand.

The Titans were rewarded for their endeavour with a try on 75 minutes to round off the scoring. Lee Millar’s chip over the top was gathered by Jonny Murphy who had a clear run to the line from 20 metres out.

The Trailfinders now turn their attention back to Championship action, with a local derby against Richmond at Vallis Way next Saturday promising to be a great occasion.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon 14 James Cordy Redden 13 Lewis Jones 12 Lewis Robling 11 Seb Stegmann 10 Rory Clegg (replaced by Aaron Penberthy, 58 mins) 9 Grayson Hart (replaced by Luke Carter, 74 minutes) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Djustice Sears Duru, 59 mins) 2 Rhys Lawrence (replaced by Alun Walker, 65 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Sam Rodman, 60 minutes) 4 Llewelyn Jones (replaced by Harry Casson, 67 mins) 5 Oli Curry 6 Kieran Murphy (c) 7 Arthur Ellis 8 Morgan Allen

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Djustice Sears Duru 18 Sam Rodman 19 Harry Casson 20 Rayn Smid 21 Luke Carter 22 Aaron Penberthy

Scorers:

Tries: Grayson Hart (7 minutes) Kieran Murphy (24 minutes) Lewis Robling (29 minutes) Morgan Allen (34 minutes) Arthur Ellis (52 minutes)

Conversions: Peter Lydon (7, 24, 29, 34, 52 minutes)

Rotherham Titans:

15 Will Thomas, 14 Ben Foley, 13 Drew Cheshire, 12 Rory Jennings (replaced by Joe Barker 21 mins), 11 Jake Henry, 10 Lee Millar, 9 Francisco Vieira (replaced by Rhodri Davies, 53 mins), 1 Tom Williams, 2 Jonny Murphy, 3 Sam Nixon (replaced by Andrew Foster, 59 mins), 4 Rob Louw, 5 Guy Borrowdale (replaced by Tom Burns, 50 mins), 6 Dan Grange (replaced by Tom Calladine, 56 mins), 7 Charlie Maddison (c), 8 Adam Peters.

Replacements:

16 Brandon Palmer, 17 Andrew Foster, 18 Tom Calladine, 19 Tom Burns, 20 Rhodri Davies, 21 Joe Barker, 22 Jamie Cooke.

Scorers:

Tries: Charlie Maddison (40 minutes) Ben Foley (50 minutes) Jonny Murphy (74 minutes)

Conversions: Lee Millar (40, 74 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Karl Dickson

Assistant Referees: Darryl Chapman & Bill Burton

Fourth Official: Thomas Davies

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 28 – 7 Rotherham Titans

Attendance: 407

Storm Man of the Match: Rhys Lawrence

Rotherham Titans vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders continued their 100% start to the British and Irish Cup with a 45-10 bonus point victory over Rotherham Titans at Clifton Lane.

After a tight first half the teams went down the tunnel with the score level at 10-10, but the West Londoners looked a completely different side in the second half and registered 35 unanswered points to take control of the match and leave with a deserved win.

It was the Titans who started strongly and went in front with a try from Drew Cheshire after just five minutes. After a number of phases in the 22, the ball was spun wide to the centre who used his feet to step the final defender and open the scoring. Lee Millar’s conversion put Andy Key’s men 7-0 in front.

The Trailfinders were quick to respond and got their first try of the afternoon on the 15 minute mark. Rory Clegg’s inch-perfect cross-field kick was gathered by Will Harries, who drew in the full-back and then passed inside to Luke Daniels who had the pace to run in unattended to cut the deficit to just two points.

Ben Ward’s side then went in front five minutes later with top try-scorer Alun Walker adding another five-pointer to his tally from close range. A rolling maul was dragged down but when the ball was recycled it allowed the Scot to bundle his way over from just a metre out and put his team 10-7 in front.

The remainder of the first half was a cagey affair with both sides making a number of handling errors in the freezing cold conditions, however with the last play of the half a penalty from Millar meant that Rotherham drew level and headed in to the changing rooms with 10-10 on the score board.

A ruthless Ealing side emerged for the second half and produced a dominant display to secure the victory in emphatic style with a mightily impressive 40 minute performance.

Lewis Jones marked his return to the starting line-up just two minutes in to the second half to put the Trailfinders back in front. From the base of a scrum the ball was hit the centre who was right on the gain-line, and he was able to power his way to the line to dive under the posts. Luke Daniels, who converted all five second half tries extended the lead to 17-10.

Just four minutes later the try bonus point was secured and the daylight between the teams increased with a try from Harry Casson. Clegg took a quick-tap penalty inside the Rotherham 22, and after being hauled down just short the captain was able to drive over from close range to ensure that his team left with the extra point.

The intensity stayed high throughout the second half and Grayson Hart was next to go over the line just before the hour mark. A five metre lineout found it’s way to the scrum-half, who dummied and went through the middle of two defenders to score. Daniels’ conversion put Ealing 31-10 ahead, which put the result beyond doubt.

Lewis Robling then joined in the try-scoring with another first-phase try from a set-piece. The ball came off the top of a lineout and was zipped straight to the inside centre who went through four defenders on his 20 metre run to the line to add further gloss to the score-line.

The scoring was rounded off by Lewis Jones who got his second of the match with 10 minutes left on the clock. Piers O’Conor tidied up a fumble in a Rotherham attack and raced straight away before popping the ball up to Daniels. The Titans defence hauled the South African down but he was able to offload to Seb Stegmann, who eventually found Jones to run to the line and extend the lead to 45-10.

The final 10 minutes saw both sides playing open rugby as they went in search of further points but the defences held firm and rounded off what had been a fierce battle at Clifton Lane.

The result means the Trailfinders sit top of the pool with a maximum 15 points from 15 as they continue to chase a home quarter-final, and they welcome Rotherham to Vallis Way next Saturday for the return fixture where they will be aiming to continue their momentum in front of the home supporters.

Rotherham Titans:

15 Ben Foley, 14 Jamie Cooke, 13 Drew Cheshire, 12 Logan Tibbetts, 11 Wesley Hamilton, 10 Lee Millar, 9 Francisco Vieira, 1 Tom Williams, 2 Jonny Murphy, 3 Brandon Palmer, 4 Rob Louw, 5 James Lasis, 6 Dan Grange, 7 Charlie Maddison (c.) 8 Tom Burns

Replacements:

16 Luke Cole, 17 Toby Williams, 18 Andrew Foster, 19 Guy Borrowdale, 20 Tom Calladine, 21 Rhodri Davies, 22 Will Thomas.

Scorers:

Tries: Drew Cheshire (5 minutes)

Conversions: Lee Millar (5 minutes)

Penalties: Lee Millar (40 minutes)

Yellow Card: Rob Louw

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Lewis Jones 12 Lewis Robling 11 Will Harries 10 Rory Clegg (replaced by Piers O’Conor) 9 Grayson Hart (replaced by Luke Carter) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Djustice Sears Duru) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Rhys Lawrence) 3 Lewis Thiede (replaced by Mark Tampin) 4 Harry Casson 5 Oli Curry 6 Rayn Smid (replaced by Barney Maddison) 7 Dan Temm 8 Morgan Allen (replaced by Llewelyn Jones)

Replacements:

16 Rhys Lawrence 17 Djustice Sears-Duru 18 Mark Tampin 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Barney Maddison 21 Luke Carter 22 Piers O’Conor

Scorers:

Tries: Luke Daniels (14 minutes) Alun Walker (22 minutes) Lewis Jones (42, 69 minutes) Harry Casson (46 minutes) Grayson Hart (57 minutes) Lewis Robling (64 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (42, 46, 57, 64, 69 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Fergus Kirby

Assistant Referees: Lionel Spooner & Ian Bibey

Fourth Official: Andrew Wigley

Connacht vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders produced an outstanding display to record a comprehensive 71-14 victory over Connacht Eagles at the Sports Ground.

The West Londoners were full of intensity throughout and scored 11 tries in what was arguably their most impressive attacking display of the season so far. James Cordy Redden crossed for a hat-trick, whilst Lewis Jones and Will Harries both registered doubles.

The result leaves Ben Ward’s side top of the pool after the opening two rounds of the British and Irish Cup, recording two bonus point wins which has given them the maximum 10 points.

It was Connacht who were quicker out of the blocks and looked dangerous with ball in hand, but after absorbing the pressure it was the visitors who struck first and never looked back.

Sam Rodman opened the scoring on the seven minute mark with a try from a rolling maul after the forwards powered towards the line to give the Trailfinders an early lead.

Five minutes later James Cordy Redden scored his first of the afternoon to extend the advantage. After sustained pressure in the 22, Dan Temm broke the line of defence before offloading to the winger who ran over the line unattended. Shane O’Leary converted, and would kick eight out of 11 conversions in an impressive performance against his former club.

The third try came on the 25 minute mark, with Matt Cornish throwing in to the lineout before gathering the ball at the back of the maul to dot down and give his side a 19-0 lead.

Lewis Jones then scored two tries in quick succession to secure the try bonus point. The first one was a contender for try of the season with Joe Munro making a huge carry in the midfield before an audacious offload set Jones free. He then showed great pace to race away from the defenders to score under the posts.

His second score just minutes later saw him join a rolling maul and find himself with the ball in his hands as it was driving over the line to move the lead to 33-0.

There was time for one more try before the break, with Jones’ centre partner Munro crossing for a deserved try. Again the rolling maul which had been a successful weapon for the West Londoners was driving towards the line, and Munro broke away from close range to score. O’Leary converted to give Ealing a 40-0 lead at half time, in an opening 40 minutes where they had scored on every visit to the Connacht 22.

The second half started in similar fashion, with Will Harries taking just two minutes to score his first of the match. Luke Daniels broke down the left wing, before the ball was recycled and O’Leary’s inch-perfect cross kick found the Welsh winger who had acres of space to score in the corner.

The next try was also up there with the tries of the season so far. Under pressure on their own try-line, O’Leary dummied and ran out of the 22 before releasing Harries to race in to the Connacht half. Despite being hauled down, the ball came back to O’Leary again who put in another cross kick to Cordy Redden who gathered and dotted the ball down.

Connacht then responded and were rewarded for their endeavour with two tries in quick succession to put themselves on the scoreboard. Pat O’Toole scored their first, before Gavin Thornbury ran through some tackles to cut the deficit to 14-52.

Harries got his second to make it two braces in consecutive weeks on the hour mark. Ealing made their way up to the line, and patiently went through the phases before going wide where Harries was the beneficiary on an overlap.

Morgan Allen then brought up the 60 point tally with a try on his debut. The Welsh number eight certainly made his presence felt after coming off the bench, and was rewarded by driving over the line from close range to take the lead up to 66-14.

With time up the backs were refusing to kick the ball out in search of an eleventh try, and were rewarded with Cordy Redden completing his hat trick in the final play of the match. Jones kicked clear from their 22, and the winger won the footrace to gather on the line and dive over to make the final score 71-14 on a memorable afternoon at the Sports Ground.

That concludes the opening fortnight of the British and Irish Cup, with the Greene King IPA Championship resuming this weekend and a trip to Clifton Lane to take on Rotherham Titans on Saturday afternoon.

Connacht Eagles:

15 Matthew Byrne 14 Niyi Adeolokun 13 Stacey Ili 12 Kieran Joyce 11 Rory Scholes 10 Andrew Deegan 9 Conor McKeon 1 Denis Coulson 2 Pat O’Toole 3 JP Cooney (c) 4 Peter Claffey 5 Gavin Thornbury 6 Paul Boyle 7 Naulia Dawai 8 Harley Fox

Replacements:

16 Callum Torpey 17 Conor Kenny 18 Niall Murray 19 Cian Huxford 20 James Mitchell 21 Luke Carty 22 Adam Leavy

Scorers:

Tries: Pat O’Toole (53 minutes) Gavin Thornbury (56 minutes)

Conversions: Andrew Deegan (53, 56 minutes)

Yellow Card: Conor McKeon

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 James Cordy Redden 13 Lewis Jones 12 Joe Munro (replaced by Lewis Robling) 11 Will Harries 10 Shane O’Leary 9 Grayson Hart (replaced by Luke Carter) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Will Davis) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Rhys Lawrence) 3 Sam Rodman (replaced by Mark Tampin) 4 Harry Casson (replaced by Llewelyn Jones) 5 Oli Curry 6 Rayn Smid (replaced by Morgan Allen) 7 Dan Temm 8 Mark Bright

Replacements:

16 Rhys Lawrence 17 Will Davis 18 Mark Tampin 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Morgan Allen 21 Luke Carter 22 Lewis Robling

Scorers:

Tries: Sam Rodman (7 minutes) James Cordy Redden (13, 50, 80 minutes) Matt Cornish (25 minutes) Lewis Jones (30, 38 minutes) Joe Munro (40 minutes) Will Harries (42, 62 minutes) Morgan Allen (74 minutes)

Conversions: Shane O’Leary (13, 25, 30, 38, 40, 50, 62, 74 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Rhys Thomas

Assistant Referees: Brian Deighan & Jason Cairns

Half Time Score: Connacht Eagles 0-40 Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders vs Richmond

Ealing Trailfinders got the 2017/18 British and Irish Cup off to the perfect start with a dominant 67-12 win over Richmond at Vallis Way.

Ben Ward’s side scored eleven tries and showed their attacking quality to begin the competition with a bonus-point win.

Four players crossed for two tries each, with a strong team effort giving the home crowd plenty of reason to celebrate.

It took just two minutes to break the deadlock with James Cordy Redden racing clear after a neat offload from Arthur Ellis, and it was the flanker who was next to score from close range after a number of phases near the try-line.

Luke Daniels crossed for a brace before half time to mark his first appearance of the season with two tries. The full-back showed great feet to beat the last defender for his first, before the ball was spun wide and he acrobatically dived in the corner to dot down impressively.

Storm man-of-the-match Will Harries also went over before the break with a long-range effort after a brilliant backs move to give the hosts a 29-0 lead at half-time.

Cordy Redden started the second half in the same fashion as the first half with a try after just three minutes. Harries made a break on the outside, and the ball was then recycled and the winger was on hand to run in unattended.

Harries then also got his second to put the West Londoners 39-0 up. Another backs move from the base of a scrum ended up in the Welshman’s hands, and he had enough pace to step the defender and score.

Richmond responded with a well-worked try of their own to get on the scoreboard through Luke Outhwaite, but Ealing scored two in quick succession to continue their dominance.

The first came from Lewis Jones straight from the re-start, with Lewis Robling gathering the ball and then passing to his centre parter who ran through to score.

Robling went over just two minutes later for try number nine of the afternoon. Debutant Shane O’Leary took the ball to the defence and then offloaded for Robling to stroll under the posts.

Richmond got their second with Ben Rath having the pace to run clear after a chip over the top from James Swan which cut the deficit to 53-12 on the hour mark.

There was still time for Alun Walker to come on and cross the line for two tries to round off the scoring.

The Scottish hooker continued his try-scoring form with two close range scores after a number of phases near the line, and O’Leary converted both to make the final score 67-12 before next weekend’s trip to Connacht in Round Two.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 James Cordy-Redden 13 Lewis Jones 12 Lewis Robling 11 Will Harries 10 Aaron Penberthy (replaced by Shane O’Leary) 9 Grayson Hart (replaced by Calum Waters) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Alex Lundberg) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Alun Walker) 3 Sam Rodman (replaced by Lewis Thiede) 4 Harry Casson (c) 5 Oli Curry 6 Rayn Smid 7 Arthur Ellis 8 Willie Ryan (replaced by Llewelyn Jones)

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Alex Lundberg 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Calum Waters 21 Shane O’Leary 22 Piers O’Conor

Scorers:

Tries: James Cordy Redden (2, 43 minutes) Arthur Ellis (8 minutes) Luke Daniels (29, 36 minutes) Will Harries (32, 46 minutes) Lewis Jones (55 minutes) Lewis Robling (58 minutes) Alun Walker (75, 80 minutes)

Conversions: Aaron Penberthy (8, 36 minutes) Shane O’Leary (55, 58, 75, 80 minutes)

Richmond:

15 Ali Chisholm 14 Ben Rath 13 Cameron Hudson 12 Rhys Owen 11 Luke Outhwaite 10 James Swan 9 Callum Grant 1 Will Goodrick-Clarke 2 Jamie Townsend 3 Joe Tarrant 4 Adam Lee 5 Max Crawford 6 Lorcan Dow 7 Tom Sargeant (c) 8 Harry Edwards

Replacements:

16 Richard Townsend 17 Gary Hamilton 18 Harry Innis 19 Lucien Maman 20 Chris Reakes 21 Simon Edwards 22 Cameron Holenstein

Scorers:

Tries: Luke Outhwaite (53 minutes) Ben Rath (61 minutes)

Conversions: Alastair Chisholm (61 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Sara Cox

Assistant Referees: Mike Hudson & Simon McConnell

Fourth Official: Jeff Highcock

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 29 – 0 Richmond

Storm Man of the Match: Will Harries

Attendance: 647

Munster A vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders’ British and Irish Cup run came to an end at the semifinal stage against an emphatic Munster A side who had the match’s outstanding individual in flanker Conor Oliver.

He scored two of the home sides three tries and was a constant thorn in the side of Ben Ward’s team, whose points came from three Rory Clegg penalties.

Victory means the Irish province can now look forward to a final against either London Irish or Jersey Reds on the weekend of 22-23 April.

Early in the match Oliver had already shown a sign of what was to come when he raced deep into the Ealing Trailfinders half from a tapped penalty, but his teammates’ over-eagerness cost them when they were penalised for going off their feet at the ensuing ruck.

It also cost them at a lineout soon after when one of their pack was pinged for blocking just as their maul was beginning to roll.

Having spent a week training with the senior Munster squad, the A side were very much a team in the province’s traditional image. Rock-solid defence, rampant breakdown play, powerful pack and a fullback and wings comfortable under the high ball.

They also had a tricky fly-half in Bill Johnson and it was he who opened the scoring with a penalty before Oliver brought his influence to bear once more. His charge from the tail of a lineout set up great field position and after quick recycling centre Sam Arnold powered over.

Unfortunately, Bill Johnson’s night and season were brought to a premature end when he was stretchered off on the half-hour mark with a dislocated ankle and broken leg. It was a shame as he was enjoying a fine night and had already suffered a number of serious injuries in his nascent career that has featured a number of caps for Ireland’s U20 side.

By then Clegg had opened Ealing Trailfinders account after the pack had forced their opposite numbers to offend from a rolling maul.

David Johnson moved forward from fullback to replace his brother at pivot. He also took over kicking duties, which included converting their second try that came from a swift exchange between Oliver and scrumhalf John Poland that set the flanker free to score his first.

As half-time approached two Clegg penalties brought the visitors to within touching distance, but Oliver’s second soon after half-time gave Munster A control of the match and they were in no mood to let it slip.

David Johnson added another penalty, but from then on they were content to play the percentages, kick to the corner and apply pressure as Ealing Trailfinders tried to find a way through their well-drill defensive line.

Ealing Trailfinders Willie Ryan was held up over the line late in the match, but once again Munster A’s defence held out to underline why they were ranked as first seeds.

Scorers
Munster A
Tries (Arnold 20, Oliver 35, 44), Conversions (Bill Johnson 20, David Johnson 35), Penalties (Bill Johnson 16, 62)
Ealing Trailfinders
Penalties (Clegg 26, 38, 40)

Munster A
David Johnston, Dan Goggin, Sam Arnold, Cian Bohane (captain), Alex Wootton, Bill Johnston, John Poland; Peter McCabe, Kevin O’Byrne, Brian Scott, John Madigan, Darren O’Shea, Sean O’Connor, Conor Oliver, Robin Copeland
Reserves
Duncan Casey, Liam O’Connor, Rory Burke, Mark Chisholm, Gavin Coombes, Jack Stafford, Stephen Fitzgerald

Ealing Trailfinders
Will Harries, Curtis Wilson, Lewis Jones, Luke Peters, Phil Chesters, Rory Clegg, Luke Carter; Will Davis, Alun Walker, Lewis Thiede, Llewelyn Jones, Glen Townson, Willie Ryan, Rayn Smid, Mark Bright (captain)
Reserves
Matt Cornish, James Gibbons, Sam Rodman, Harry Casson, Arthur Ellis, Josh Davies, Aaron Penberthy

Referee – Rhys Thomas
Attendance – 732

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