Ealing Trailfinders vs Ampthill

Ealing Trailfinders made it two wins in two matches so far in the 2019/20 season after a dominant 43-5 victory over Ampthill at Trailfinders Sports Club.

Ben Ward’s side scored seven tries in total with the foundations coming from a strong set-piece to give them front foot ball throughout.

Andrew Durutalo, Reon Joseph, Harry Sloan, Jack Tovey, David Johnston all crossed the try-line as well as a double from Ben West to ensure that the Green and Whites registered another bonus point win.

The first try of the afternoon came from Andrew Durutalo with just 10 minutes on the clock as a scrum was turned on it’s head and the ball popped out straight to the back-rower who powered over the line from five metres out. Craig Willis added the conversion to give his side a 7-0 lead.

Reon Joseph scored try number two just four minutes later as the hosts began to take control of the match. After a penalty was kicked to touch the Trailfinders entered the 22 and from first phase a huge looping pass from Craig Willis allowed the winger to run in to the corner unattended.

Harry Sloan scored try number three inside the first quarter with an outstanding team try. James Cordy Redden and Rayn Smid combined down the wing, and passed inside to the man of the match who coasted through to the line to extend the lead to 17-0.

Ampthil got a deserved try on the half hour mark with a piece of quick thinking which ended in a smart try. With a penalty awarded a cross-field kick landed in the arms of Will Foster who got the visitors on the scoreboard.

Jack Tovey then secured the bonus point with the final play of the first half. An overthrow opened up an opportunity for Kieran Murphy who was brought down just short, and the ball was recycled to Tovey who powered over the line.

Both sides struggled for momentum in the second half due to the large amount of stoppages, and a number of opportunities passed both teams by with handling errors costing them.

Ampthill were reduced to 14 men with Matthew Collins sent to the sin bin, and after a whole host of replacements the Trailfinders took advantage with three tries in the final quarter.

Ben West smashed over from close range after going through the phases on the try-line with 15 minutes left to take the tally over the 30 point mark.

David Johnston then crossed with his first touch after some smart hands from the scrum. Two dummy runners created the space, and allowed the Irishman to dive over from five metres out.

The final play of the match saw the Trailfinders score with a memorable try to confirm the victory. A turnover fell in to the hands of Oli Robinson who released Tommy Bell down the wing, and he drew in the final defender before passing inside to Ben West who ran through from 30 metres.

That try took the total up to 43 points, and signalled the end of the match to ensure that the Green and Whites made it two wins from two ahead of next Friday’s trip to Coventry in Round Three of the Championship Cup.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Tommy Bell 14 James Cordy Redden 13 Jack Tovey (replaced by David Johnston, 70 mins) 12 Harry Sloan 11 Reon Joseph 10 Craig Willis (replaced by Steven Shingler, 45 mins) 9 Jordan Burns (replaced by Craig Hampson, 45 mins) 1 Jordan Els (replaced by Josh Pieterse, 50 mins) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Alun Walker, 50 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills (replaced by Craig Trenier, 55 mins) 4 Ben West 5 James Cannon (replaced by Dave McKern, 60 mins) 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Andrew Durutalo 8 Rayn Smid © (replaced by Oli Robinson, 65 mins)

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Josh Pieterse 18 Craig Trenier 19 Dave McKern 20 Oli Robinson 21 Craig Hampson 22 Steven Shingler 23 David Johnston

Scorers:

Tries: Andrew Durutalo (11 minutes) Reon Joseph (14 minutes) Harry Sloan (17 minutes) Jack Tovey (40 minutes) Ben West (64, 80 minutes) David Johnston (75 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Wills (11, 40 minutes) Steven Shingler (64, 75 minutes)

Ampthill:

15 Karim Lynch 14 Calum Sirker 13 Serafin Bordoli 12 Jarryd Sage 11 Will Foster 10 Louis Grimoldby 9 Darryl Veenendaal 1 Ben Christie 2 Syd Blackmore 3 Aleki Lutui 4 Carl Burgess 5 Shay Kerry 6 Facundo Dominguez 7 Will Allman 8 Sam Hudson

Replacements:

16 David Ward 17 Matthew Collins 18 Thomas Foulkes 19 Jon Kpoku 20 Maama Molitika 21 Gavin Williams 22 Michael Waters 23 Nigel Baker

Scorers:

Tries: Will Foster (30 minutes)

Yellow Card: Matthew Collins

Match Officials:

Referee: Fergus Kirby

Assistant Referees: Simon McConnell & Lionel Spooner

Attendance: 530

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 24-5 Ampthill

Soane’s Kitchen Man of the Match: Harry Sloan

Bedford Blues vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders started the 2019/20 season in emphatic fashion with a comprehensive 57-26 victory over Bedford Blues at Goldington Road.

Ben Ward’s side were devastating in attack throughout as they crossed for nine tries to begin their defence of the Championship Cup with a bonus point win.

With conditions still showing signs of pre-season in 26 degree heat the players could have been forgiven for a slow start, but the West Londoners came flying out of the blocks and took the lead after just eight minutes.

Pat Howard broke the line and carried all the way up to the try-line from 50 metres out, and the ball was quickly recycled to James Cordy Redden who scored from the following phase.

Just five minutes later the second try was scored in impressive style. Jack Tovey spun the ball out to Reon Joseph who had three defenders in front of him but used his searing pace to run straight down the line to score in the corner. Craig Willis’ touchline conversion put the Trailfinders 12 points ahead.

A number of defensive sets then followed as Bedford looked to get back in to the match, but the visitors held out admirably and then in the second quarter pulled away whilst securing the try bonus point before half time.

With 30 minutes on the clock a penalty was kicked to the corner, and after going through the phases in the build up towards the line, Kieran Murphy picked a great line to fly past the final defender and dive over the line.

Bedford responded with a try from Pat Tapley after a break from former Trailfinder Grayson Hart to get them on the scoreboard, but the Green and Whites hit straight back as the bonus point try came courtesy of Jack Tovey.

Tommy Bell read a pass brilliantly to intercept and had Kieran Murphy alongisde him who carried the ball in to the 22. Tovey’s support line was rewarded as he received an offload and coasted his way to the line. That was to be the last play of the first half, with the Trailfinders heading down the tunnel with a 24-5 lead.

The second half started in the same way that the first half ended, as the Trailfinders continued to grow their advantage. With just two minutes gone Tommy Bell broke the line from first phase and had Rayn Smid alongside him who was able to stroll under the posts.

Harry Casson then crossed for try number six as he took advantage of a strong rolling maul to bundle over the line with the lead now over 30 points. A number of replacements then got their chance to impress, and the Trailfinders showed no signs of slowing down with more tries to follow.

Jordan Burns scored a typically characteristic try against his former side on the hour mark to continue the momentum. Ben West flew through the defence with a great support line, and Burns was on hand to race his way to the line.

Rayn Smid took his tally of tries to two with 10 minutes remaining, the captain was again the beneficiary of a break, this time from David Johnston before gathering the final pass to score. The conversion from Steven Shingler brought up the half century of points, which prompted a Bedford revival.

A spell of three tries in the final five minutes ensured that the Blues would secure a try bonus point, with the first coming from Dan Temm who showed his pace to run clear from the half way line.

Joe Atkinson then burst on to an offload to beat the defence for try number three, and they got their fourth from Ryan Butler who ran clear to dot down in the corner.

Appropriately it was the Trailfinders who ended the match by crossing for try number nine with the final play. They entered the 22 and kept hammering away at the line, with Jack Tovey stepping the last defender to cap off his debut with a second try. Shingler’s conversion was the last act, confirming the 57-26 win to start the season in perfect style.

Bedford Blues:

15 Rich Lane 14 Pat Tapley 13 Matt Worley 12 Oskar Hirsky-Douglas 11 Ryan Butler 10 Sam Leeming 9 Grayson Hart 1 Joe Wrafter 2 Robbie Smith 3 Alex Penny 4 Ed Taylor © 5 Jordan Onojaife 6 Dan Temm 7 Joe Atkinson 8 Huw Worthington

Replacements:

16 Sean McCarthy 17 Henry Paul 18 Karl Garside 19 Will Carrick Smith 20 Oli Curry 21 James Lennon 22 Lewis Robling 23 Ed Coulson

Scorers:

Tries: Pat Tapley (36 minutes) Dan Temm (74 minutes) Joe Atkinson (79 minutes) Ryan Butler (80 minutes)

Conversions: Ed Coulson (74, 80 minutes) James Lennon (79 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 James Cordy Redden 13 Jack Tovey 12 Pat Howard (replaced by Tommy Bell, 15 mins) 11 Reon Joseph 10 Craig Willis (replaced by Steven Shingler, 65 mins) 9 Nathan Fowles (replaced by Jordan Burns, 55 mins) 1 Jordan Els (replaced by Jake Ellwood, 60 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 60 mins) 3 Craig Trenier (replaced by George Davis, 55 mins) (replaced by Jake Ellwood, 60 mins) 4 Sam Dickinson (replaced by Ben West, 55 mins) 5 Harry Casson 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Jordy Reid (replaced by Andrew Durutalo, 65 mins) 8 Rayn Smid ©

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jake Ellwood 18 George Davis 19 Ben West 20 Andrew Durutalo 21 Jordan Burns 22 Tommy Bell 23 Steven Shingler

Scorers:

Tries: James Cordy Redden (8 minutes) Reon Joseph (13 minutes) Kieran Murphy (32 minutes) Jack Tovey (38, 80 minutes) Rayn Smid (43, 67 minutes) Harry Casson (52 minutes) Jordan Burns (63 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Willis (13, 32, 43, 63 minutes) Steven Shingler (68, 80 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Craig Maxwell-Keys

Assistant Referees: Greg Garner & William Burton

Fourth Official: Calum Howard

Half Time Score: Bedford Blues 5-24 Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders vs London Irish

Ealing Trailfinders won the Championship Cup after a dramatic 23-17 victory over London Irish at Trailfinders Sports Club.

Ben Ward’s side were forced to defend their own line for the final three minutes but managed to smash the ball out to confirm a memorable victory in front of a record crowd.

The Trailfinders were showing no signs of nerves in the opening stages and dominated the first quarter, resulting in the first try of the match after just 11 minutes. A penalty was kicked to the corner, and from the lineout Craig Willis floated an inch-perfect pass to Seb Stegmann on the wing who was able to score in the corner. The conversion blew wide in the wind, but Ward’s side were showing their intent.

It almost got even better just five minutes later as Jordan Burns raced away for a try, however it was disallowed by the Television Match Official. Willis, who was playing sublime rugby dummied and broke through the line before releasing Burns. The scrum-half stormed his way to the line, but in the process of scoring a knock on was called.

Will Harries then scored the second try on the 20 minute mark as the hosts continued their dominant start. Willis kicked in behind and it bounced up perfectly to Harries who was able to dive on the ball to score. The conversion was wide but the lead was now up to 10 points.

Irish responded immediately and scored 10 minutes before the half-hour as they ramped up the pressure. Ben Loader pounced on a loose clearance and skipped through the entire defence to race under the posts. Stephen Myler converted as the lead was down to just three points.

Willis then kicked a penalty as the Trailfinders went six points in front, but just three minutes later Myler kicked one for Irish to cancel it out.

A crucial moment came just before half time as Scott Steele took a quick penalty and scored from just five metres out, however the TMO said he was just short and the Trailinders went down the tunnel at half time with a 13-10 lead.

Ward’s men started the second half brilliantly and extended their lead after just five minutes. An incredible spell of play saw them go through 36 phases in the Irish 22, and with a penalty given they spun the ball wide to David Johnston who beat the final defender to score. Willis converted to extend the lead to 10 points.

Willis then kicked a penalty to take the lead up to 13 points, but Irish came back and scored as Terrence Hepetema bundled over the line. The conversion cut the lead to just six points with 10 minutes to go.

A penalty on half way looked to have secured the victory, however the kick missed touch and Irish came raring back in the final minute. With the ball on the Trailfinders’ line they managed to hold out the pressure and fire the ball in to the stands to begin the enormous celebrations as the 2018/19 season ended with silverware.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Will Harries (replaced by Harry Sloan, 68 mins) 14 Seb Stegmann 13 David Johnston 12 Pat Howard 11 James Cordy Redden10 Craig Willis 9 Jordan Burns 1 Jordan Els 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 65 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills 4 Sam Dickinson (replaced by Ben Landry, 70 mins) 5 Harry Casson 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Jordy Reid 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jack O’Connell 18 Ben Betts 19 Ben Landry 20 Harry Sloan 21 Ryan Foley 22 Laurence May

Scorers:

Tries: Seb Stegmann (11 minutes) Will Harries (20 minutes) David Johnston (46 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Willis (46 minutes)

Penalties: Craig Willis (34, 59 minutes)

London Irish:

15 Luke McLean, 14 Ben Loader, 13 Fergus Mulchrone, 12 Terrence Hepetema, 11 Matt Williams, 10 Stephen Myler, 9 Scott Steele, 1 Gordon Reid, Saia Fainga’a, 3 Ollie Hoskins, 4 Franco van der Merwe, 5 Josh McNally ©, 6 Jake Schatz, 7 TJ Ioane, 8 Ofisa Treviranus

Replacements:

16 David Porecki, 17 Patric Cilliers, 18 Barney Maddison, 19 Matt Rogerson, 20 Brendan McKibbin, 21 Jacob Atkins, 22 Brendan Macken

Scorers:

Tries: Ben Loader (28 minutes) Scott Steele (40 minutes) Terrence Hepetema (68 minutes)

Conversions: Stephen Myler (28, 68 minutes)

Penalties: Stephen Myler (37 minutes)

Yellow Card: TJ Ioane

Match Officials:

Referee: Greg Macdonald

Assistant Referees: Shane Lewis & Clare Daniels

Fourth Official: Fergus Kirby

Television Match Official: Sean Davey

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 13-10 London Irish:

Man of the Match: Craig Willis

Attendance: 3627

Ealing Trailfinders vs Cornish Pirates

Ealing Trailfinders stormed through to the Championship Cup Final after an emphatic 58-26 victory over Cornish Pirates at Trailfinders Sports Club.

The West Londoners scored nine tries to book their place in the final against London Irish in May.

Despite their eventual dominance on the scoreboard it was the Pirates who started strongly and raced in to a 21-5 lead in the opening quarter.

Dan Frost broke through the defensive line to put the visitors in front with just one minute on the clock, and that lead was doubled straight after when Alex O’Meara pounced on a length of the field kick to dive over in the corner. Harvey Skinner added both conversions to put his side 14-0 up.

The Trailfinders responded straight away as Jordan Burns scored the first of his four tries to cut the deficit. Kieran Murphy got over the gain line and passed to the scrum-half who had the pace to run clear from 30 metres. The conversion went wide and then the Pirates went over for try number three to extend their advantage.

Robin Wedlake pounced on a looping pass to intercept and score, with another conversion from Skinner putting them 21-5 ahead. That seemed to galvanise the Trailfinders who then hit back with three tries before the break to go in front.

Burns got his second after jumping on Harry Sloan’s offload and again racing away from outside the 22, before James Cordy Redden dived over in the corner in impressive style. Laurence May added both conversions to cut the gap to just two points.

He then kicked a penalty to put the Trailfinders 22-21 in front, and with Pirates’ discipline seeing two of their players sent to the sin-bin the hosts captailsed with another score before half time.

Sloan again smashed through the defence and found Cordy Redden on the wing who went through for his second, and put the hosts 27-21 in front at the break.

Ben Ward’s side continued their momentum in the second half and put the result beyond doubt with two early tries. Harry Sloan took advantage of Will Harries’ break to score acrobatically in the corner, O’Meara then got one back for the Pirates but Dave Johnston marked his return to the starting line up with a try to take the hosts over the 40 point mark.

Rayn Smid then scored the try of the match to spark wild celebrations from the supporters as he stole a lineout and then ran 60 metres whilst brushing past a number of defenders to crash over the line. May again added the extras as they neared the half century.

That landmark was reached in impressive style again as the hosts showed their expansive style with some scintillating rugby. Alun Walker’s audacious offload allowed Jordan Burns to complete his hat-trick on the 70 minute mark, and there was still time for one more try to round off a fantastic performance.

Burns got the ball on the half way line and once more used his pace to beat the Pirates defence and confirm an empahtic 58-26 win in the sunshine at Trailfinders Sports Club.

Details of the Cup Final will be confirmed in the coming days for the season-ending clash against London Irish.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Will Harries 14 Seb Stegmann 13 David Johnston 12 Harry Sloan 11 James Cordy Redden (replaced by Ryan Foley, 78 mins) 10 Laurence May (replaced by Craig Willis, 65 mins) 9 Jordan Burns 1 Alex Lundberg (replaced by Jordan Els, 68 mins) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Alun Walker, 50 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Elliot Millar Mills, 58 mins) 4 Sam Dickinson (replaced by Andrew Durtalo, 60 mins) 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Jordan Onojaife, 68 mins) 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Rohan O’Regan 8 Rayn Smid ©

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Jordan Els 18 Elliot Millar Mills 19 Jordan Onojaife 20 Andrew Durutalo 21 Ryan Foley 22 Craig Willis

Scorers:

Tries: Jordan Burns (11, 23, 68, 80 minutes) James Cordy Redden (30, 40 minutes) Harry Sloan (43 minutes) David Johnston (54 minutes) Rayn Smid (62 minutes)

Conversions: Laurence May (23, 30, 43, 54 minutes)

Penalties: Laurence May (35 minutes)

Cornish Pirates:

15 Kyle Moyle 14 Alex O’Meara 13 Rory Parata 12 Callum Patterson 11 Robin Wedlake 10 Harvey Skinner 9 Alex Day 1 Marlen Walker 2 Dan Frost 3 Tyler Gendall 4 Danny Cutmore 5 Brett Beukeboom (c) 6 Matt Bolwell 7 John Stevens 8 Dan Lee

Replacements:

16 Sam Matavesi 17 Jack Andrew 18 Josh Caulfield 19 Tom Duncan 20 Alex Schwarz 21 Will Cargill 22 Dan Koster

Scorers:

Tries: Dan Frost (2 minutes) Alex O’Meara (7, 46 minutes) Robin Wedlake (20 minutes)

Conversions: Harvey Skinner (2, 7, 20 minutes)

Yellow Cards: Harvey Skinner, John Stevens

Match Officials:

Referee: Dean Richards

Assistant Referees: Matt Turvey & Ian Bibey

Fourth Official: Gregory Garner

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 27 – 21 Cornish Pirates

Attendance: 450

Harrison’s Vintners & Delicatessen Man of the Match: Harry Sloan

Ealing Trailfinders vs Nottingham

Ealing Trailfinders stormed through to the semi finals of the Championship Cup with a dominant 41-10 victory over Nottingham at Trailfinders Sports Club.

The West Londoners scored five tries and thoroughly deserved the win as Lewis Jones, Harry Sloan, Jordan Burns, Matt Cornish all crossed the line as well as a penalty try to set up a home semi final in three weeks time.

Nottingham took an early lead as former Trailfinder Shane O’Leary kicked them in front after 10 minutes, but from then on the hosts dominated the first half to work their way in to a commanding lead.

The scrum was giving them a superb platform to attack, and after a penalty was awarded Laurence May kicked to within five metres of the try-line. Three successive penalties were then given to the Trailfinders as Nottingham continued to bring the maul down, and eventually the referee was forced to go under the posts to give the hosts a penalty try. Shane Buckley was also sent to the sin bin in the process, giving the West Londoners a man advantage for 10 minutes.

The Green and Whites took full advantage of having an extra man, and May kicked a penalty from 30 metres out just before the half hour mark to extend the lead to seven points.

Lewis Jones then crossed the try-line for the second consecutive week as the Trailfinders continued to dominate before half time. A penalty was kicked to the corner and a set play saw the backs get the ball straight from the lineout, eventually being spun wide to Jones who was there to stretch over in the corner. May added an impressive conversion to give his side a 17-3 lead as half time approached.

The confidence was clearly flowing for the hosts who were playing expansive rugby from anywhere, and they came within inches of a wonder try in the closing stages of the half. Seb Stegmann gathered a high ball and passed to Jordan Burns who straightened up the line before releasing Matt Cornish down the wing, but in the process of scoring he was dragged in to touch.

Ben Ward’s men saw out the final minute of the half and kicked in to touch to run down the tunnel with an impressive 17-3 lead at the break.

The Trailfinders showed no signs of slowing down after half time and came out with the same intent as the lead continued to grow. Harry Sloan got the hosts’ fourth try of the match on the 50 minute mark as they began to put themselves in an unassailable position.

A maul was brought down just short of the 22, and the centre powered his way through three defenders to run clear and dive over the line. May again converted to put the lead up to 21 points.

Ward’s side kept their foot on the gas and crossed again 10 minutes later to put the result beyond doubt. Lewis Jones who picked up the Man of the Match award broke in the midfield and ran through from 30 metres before unselfishly offloading to Jordan Burns who was able to dot the ball down. The conversion from May took the hosts over the 30 point mark.

Nottingham responded well and got a try as the teams entered the final quarter courtesy of David Williams who latched on to an offload from close range to score, and O’Leary converted but the Trailfinders then added further gloss to the scoreboard in the following moments.

A penalty was kicked to the corner and from the resulting maul Matt Cornish broke away to score, before another conversion from May gave the Trailfinders a 38-10 advantage.

Craig Willis added another three points from the tee with the final play of the match to take the hosts over 40 points, and that signaled the final whistle as the Trailfinders booked their place in the semi finals of the Championship Cup.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Will Harries 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Lewis Jones 12 Harry Sloan 11 James Cordy Redden (replaced by Segundo Tuculet, 75 mins) 10 Laurence May (replaced by Craig Willis, 75 mins) 9 Jordan Burns (replaced by Ryan Foley, 70 mins) 1 Alex Lundberg (replaced by Jordan Els, 40 mins) 2 Matt Cornish 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Elliot Millar Mills, 65 mins) 4 Rayn Smid © 5 Harry Casson 6 Rohan O’Regan 7 Jordy Reid 8 Kieran Murphy (replaced by George Edgson, 75 mins)

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Jordan Els 18 Elliot Millar Mills 19 George Edgson 20 Segundo Tuculet 21 Ryan Foley 22 Craig Willis

Scorers:

Tries: Penalty Try (22 minutes) Lewis Jones (29 minutes) Harry Sloan (51 minutes) Jordan Burns (62 minutes) Matt Cornish, 76 minutes)

Conversions: Laurence May (29, 51, 62, 76 minutes)

Penalties: Laurence May (27 minutes) Craig Willis (80 minutes)

Nottingham:

15. Sean Scanlon 14. David Williams 13. Will Millett 12. Luke Peters 11. Alex Goble 10. Shane O’Leary 9. Darryl Veenendaal (c) 1. Jamie Jack 2. Ben Brownlie 3. Oisin Heffernan 4. Seb Cecil 5. Shane Buckley 6. George Cox 7. Will Owen 8. Josh Poullet

Replacements:

16. Luke Cole 17. George Thornton 18. Cecil MacCarthy 19. JJ Broberg 20. Jake Farnworth 21. Murray McConnell 22. Gearoid Lyons

Scorers:

Tries: David Williams (65 minutes)

Conversions: Shane O’Leary (65 minutes)

Penalties: Shane O’Leary (10 minutes)

Yellow Card: Shane Buckley

Match Officials:

Referee: Adam Leal

Assistant Referees: Darryl Chapman & Nigel Carrick

Fourth Official: Benjamin Wilde

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 17 – 3 Nottingham

Attendance: 267

Harrison’s Vintners & Delicatessen Man of the Match: Lewis Jones

Ealing Trailfinders vs Richmond

Ealing Trailfinders secured top seeding in the Championship Cup after an impressive 33-0 victory over Richmond at Trailfinders Sports Club.

Ben Ward’s side scored five tries in the torrential rain to make sure they will host a Quarter Final, rounding off the pool stages in outstanding fashion. A hat-trick from Matt Cornish as well as tries from Andrew Durutalo and Alex Lundberg gave the West Londoners the win.

In tricky conditions due to the wind and rain both sides opened the match with a number of errors as they got used to the weather, but the Trailfinders were first to cross the try-line on the 20 minute mark.

After a number of half chances, in particular when Ryan Foley and James Cordy Redden combined to break in the midfield the hosts went back to their reliable rolling maul to secure the first score.

A series of penalties from the dominant scrum took them inside the Richmond 22, and an enormous rolling maul from 20 metres out powered to the line, allowing Matt Cornish to break away and score. Craig Willis converted from the touchline to give his side a 7-0 lead.

Lorcan Dow was then sent to the sin-bin for the visitors after a number of infringements on their own try-line, but despite dominating possession the hosts were failing to convert the chances in to points.

A number of entries in to the Richmond 22 resulted in mauling opportunities but the visitors were holding firm and despite a second yellow card, this time for Timmy Walford they would stop the Trailfinders from crossing the line for the remainder of the first half, with the hosts going down the tunnel holding a 7-0 lead at the break.

The Trailfinders looked like a different team in the second half and came out full of energy which resulted in a try after just two minutes. A penalty took them up to the line, and Cornish was again at the back of a maul to power over for his second of the match. Laurence May converted to double the lead, and just 10 minutes later he would complete his hat trick.

In identical fashion a penalty was kicked to the corner, and the hooker steamed over the line to extend the advantage to 19 points.

With results going their way the Trailfinders knew that a bonus point try may well be enough to get top seeding, and they got their fourth try with just over five minutes remaining courtesy of Andrew Durutalo. The American flanker powered over from inches out to make sure they would get the full set of match points, and May converted to give the hosts a 26 point cushion.

In the final play of the game Alex Lundberg bundled over the line after a dominant carry, and May added the extras to secure a 33-0 victory at Trailfinders Sports Club.

That result means the Trailfinders will host a Quarter Final on the first weekend of February, with the opponents to be confirmed.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Pat Howard 12 Harry Sloan 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Craig Willis (replaced by Laurence May, 40 mins) 9 Ryan Foley 1 Jordan Els (replaced by Alex Lundberg, 48 mins) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Alun Walker, 70 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills (replaced by George Davis, 70 mins) 4 Ben West 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Jordan Onojaife, 60 mins) 6 Jordy Reid (replaced by Rohan O’Regan, 58 mins) 7 Andrew Durutalo 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Alex Lundberg 18 George Davis 19 Jordan Onojaife 20 Rohan O’Regan 21 Jordan Burns 22 Laurence May

Scorers:

Tries: Matt Cornish (17, 42, 53 minutes) Andrew Durutalo (73 minutes) Alex Lundberg (80 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Willis (17 minutes) Laurence May (42, 73, 80 minutes)

Richmond:

15 Rhodri Adamson 14 Imad Bouhedjeur 13 Morgan Ward 12 Cam Hudson 11 Ben Rath 10 Ben Cook 9 Callum Grant (c) 1 Timmy Walford 2 Rupert Freestone 3 Danny Parkinson 4 Rui D’Orey 5 Myles Scott 6 Adam Lee 7 Lorcan Dow 8 Harison Edwards

Replacements:

16 Gino Corradi 17 Alex Wood 18 Fraser Wem 19 Harry Davies 20 Will Crow 21 Freddie Gabbitass 22 Rory Damant

Yellow Cards: Lorcan Dow, Timmy Walford

Match Officials:

Referee: Neil Chivers

Assistant Referees: Gareth Holsgrove & Lionel Spooner

Fourth Official: Tim Bailey

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 7 – 0 Richmond

Attendance: 591

Harrison’s Vintners & Delicatessen Man of the Match: Matt Cornish

Jersey Reds vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders secured a famous victory in atrocious conditions to leave Jersey with a hard-fought 20-16 win at Stade Santander International.

It was an afternoon for defence in scarcely believable rain, and the Trailfinders put in incredible commitment to make it four wins in a row in mightily impressive fashion to halt Jersey’s 10 match winning run.

The Trailfinders were playing with the wind behind them in the first half and they got off to the best possible start with a try after just five minutes.

A scrum deep in the Jersey 22 gave the visitors the perfect platform, and after going through the phases they spun the ball wide to Seb Stegmann who was in acres of space to score in the corner. Craig Willis converted from the touchline to give his side an early 7-0 lead.

The West Londoners were using the conditions to their advantage with a series of box kicks which were causing havoc for the Jersey backs, and after being caught offside a penalty was kicked between the posts by Willis to extend the advantage to 10 points.

Jersey then began to come back in to the match after a spell of pressure and crossed for their first try on the 20 minute mark. A break in the midfield took them up to the line, and they relied on the forwards to finish off the chance with second-rower Dave McKern driving over from close range. Aaron Penberthy added the extras to cut the deficit to just three points.

James Cordy Redden had a chance with 10 minutes remaining in the first half as he intercepted a loose pass and looked to race clear but the Jersey defence scrambled back to deny him a try on his return to the side.

Penberthy then levelled the score with a penalty from in front of the posts but the Trailfinders responded with a late try to take the lead before the break.

A penalty was kicked to the corner and from the lineout Alun Walker completed a one-two with Ben West to scramble over from five metres out. Willis’ impressive touchline conversion ensured that his side went down the tunnel with a seven point advantage at the break after a badly tempered opening 40 minutes.

The Trailfinders were playing against the wind in the second half and found out how tough it would be to clear their lines in the wind when a box kick came straight back over their heads. From the resulting play Penberthy dropped back in to the pocket and kicked a drop goal, cutting the gap to four points.

The former Trailfinder had his kicking boots on and a successful penalty just two minutes later meant that Ben Ward’s side held just a one point advantage with 30 minutes remaining.

Willis then restored the four point lead with a much needed penalty after a huge shove from the forwards at scrum time, and then for the final quarter the weather turned. Astonishing gusts of wind were making the game virtually unplayable as both sides struggled to keep hold of the ball.

The Trailfinders’ front-row fronted up and began to get dominance up front which allowed them to escape danger on numerous occasions, but the Reds wouldn’t die down as they continued to go in search of a winning try.

Ward’s side held firm to grind out an outstanding victory which was summed up by the last phase of play where they defended for their lives to secure themselves a place in the Championship Cup Quarter Final, which cued enormous celebrations on the touchline.

Jersey Reds:

15 Auguy Slowik 14 Jason Worrall 13 Apakuki Ma’afu 12 Mark Best 11 Leroy Van Dam 10 Aaron Penberthy 9 Will Homer 1 Roy Godfrey (c) 2 Jack Macfarlane 3 Leeroy Atalifo 4 Charlie Beckett 5 Dave McKern 6 Max Argyle 7 Rory Bartle 8 Janco Venter

Replacements:

16 Nick Selway 17 Harry Morley 18 Sam Rodman 19 Jake Upfield 20 Kyle Hatherell 21 Calum Waters 22 Brett Herron

Scorers:

Tries: Dave McKern (22 minutes)

Conversions: Aaron Penberthy (22 minutes)

Penalties: Aaron Penberthy (33, 48 minutes)

Drop Goal: Aaron Penberthy (44 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Pat Howard 12 Harry Sloan 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Craig Willis 9 Jordan Burns 1 Jordan Els 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 45 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills 4 Harry Casson 5 Tom Denton (replaced by Ben West, 25 mins) 6 Kieran Murphy (replaced by Andrew Durutalo, 38 mins) 7 Jordy Reid 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Alex Lundberg 18 George Davis 19 Ben West 20 Andrew Durutalo 21 Ryan Foley 22 Laurence May

Scorers:

Tries: Seb Stegmann (6 minutes) Alun Walker (36 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Willis (6, 36 minutes)

Penalties: Craig Willis (10, 53 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Michael Hudson

Assistant Referees: Peter Brunt & Lionel Spooner

Fourth Official: Samuel Phillips

Half Time Score: Jersey Reds 10 – 17 Ealing Trailfinders

Attendance: 943

Ealing Trailfinders vs London Scottish

Ealing Trailfinders recorded their third consecutive victory in the Championship Cup over a spirited London Scottish side at Trailfinders Sports Club.

Ben Ward’s men scored five tries in a 29-15 win as they set up a pool decider against Jersey Reds next weekend on the Channel Island.

The visitors started strongly and scored the first points of the afternoon courtesy of a Jacob Perry penalty from 30 metres, but from then the Trailfinders dominated the first half as they built a convincing lead.

A spell of three tries in 10 minutes saw them take control of the match, with the first coming from Alun Walker who extended his try-scoring run. The ball went loose from a lineout and some great hands in the middle set up an overlap on the right wing which allowed the hooker a clear run to the line. The conversion went wide but the hosts had the lead, which was quickly extended by Will Harries.

The scrum was functioning extremely well which was resulting in penalty after penalty, and with the ball kicked to the corner Ben Ward’s side had a great position to build from. In similar fashion to the first try, they went through the hands and found the Welshman in the corner who dived over the line unattended.

Jordan Burns then extended the lead after the scrum-half capitalised on a strong run from Rayn Smid to gather the flanker’s offload and race to the line, whilst Josh Barton was sent to the sin bin in the process.

The Trailfinders secured the try bonus point before the break as Jordan Els mauled over the line in the closing stages. A fierce maul progressed all of 20 metres before the South African marked his first start for the club with a five pointer to put his side 22-3 up at the break.

Jordan Burns got the hosts’ fifth try on the 50 minute mark as once more he was the beneficiary of an impressive offload, this time from Harry Sloan who was making his first appearance of the season. The physical centre smashed his way over the gain line and released the scrum half who had the pace to run clear. Craig Willis added the extras to extend the lead to 26 points.

The Scots then took control in the final quarter as a late rally saw them score twice in the last 20 minutes. Jordan Brodley mauled over the line on the hour mark, and Josh Barton dummied from the base of a scrum with just five minutes left to give Dave Morris’ men a deserved late score.

The Green and Whites then closed out the match with some more impressive defensive sets as they secured another victory.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 Will Harries 13 Guy Armitage (replaced by Harry Sloan, 50 mins) 12 Craig Willis 11 Seb Stegmann 10 Laurence May 9 Jordan Burns 1 Jordan Els (replaced by Alex Lundberg, 60 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 50 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills (replaced by George Davis, 75 mins) 4 Harry Casson (replaced by Ben West, 70 mins) 5 Tom Denton 6 Jordy Reid 7 Andrew Durutalo (replaced by Kieran Murphy, 60 mins) 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Alex Lundberg 18 George Davis 19 Ben West 20 Kieran Murphy 21 Ryan Foley 22 Harry Sloan

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (8 minutes) Will Harries (14 minutes) Jordan Burns (19, 52 minutes) Jordan Els (35 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Willis (35, 52 minutes)

Yellow Cards: Jordy Reid, Ben West

London Scottish:

15 Elliott Obatoyinbo 14 Miles Mantella 13 Richie Vernon 12 Ben Mosses 11 Taino Goveia 10 Jacob Perry 9 Josh Barton 1 Jimmy Litchfield 2 Jared Saunders 3 Phil Cringle 4 Theo Vukasinovic 5 Byron Hodge 6 Miles Wakeling 7 Matt Eliet 8 Luke Frost

Replacements:

16 Billy Harding 17 Jordan Brodley 18 Dino Waldren 19 Mark Bright 20 Ed Hoadley 21 Rory Jennings 22 Fraser Lyle

Scorers:

Tries: Jordan Brodley (60 minutes) Josh Barton (77 minutes)

Conversions: Rory Jennings (77 minutes)

Penalties: Jacob Perry (2 minutes)

Yellow Cards: Josh Barton, Dino Waldren

Match Officials:

Referee: Alexander Thomas

Assistant Referees: Shane Lewis & Nick Marshall

Fourth Official: Benjamin Wilde

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 22 – 3 London Scottish

Attendance: 602

Harrison’s Vintners & Delicatessen Man of the Match: Elliot Millar Mills

London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders secured their second consecutive victory as they ground out a hard fought 31-19 victory over London Scottish at the Athletic Ground.

Tries from Rohan O’Regan, David Johnston, Will Harries and a double from Alun Walker ensured they left with a bonus point to make it 10 out of 10 in the last fortnight in Richmond and wrestle themselves back in to contention in the Championship Cup.

The Trailfinders started brightly and scored the first points of the match after just five minutes. A string of penalties saw them kick right up to the Scottish line, and the hosts were unable to stop the maul after Byron Hodge had been sent to the sin bin which allowed Alun Walker to drive over the line. Laurence May converted from the touchline to give his side an early 7-0 lead.

Rohan O’Regan scored his first try for the club on the 15 minute mark as the visitors continued to dominate the opening stages of the match. A penalty saw them enter the 22, and after going through the phases Craig Willis was dragged down just five metres from the line before O’Regan picked a great line to cut straight through the defence. May again converted to extend the lead to 14 points.

Dave Johnston then went over for the third try in spectacular fashion to put Ben Ward’s side in firm control of the game. A lineout inside the 22 went straight through the hands of the backs with a whole host of dummy runners creating space for the full-back who used his pace to dive over in impressive style. May, who had his kicking boots on sent his third conversion sailing through the posts to take the Trailfinders over the 20 point mark.

It looked as if the visitors were going to put the result beyond doubt, however two Scottish tries in the final five minutes of the first half brought them right back in to the match.

The first came from former Trailfinder Miles Mantella to open their account for the evening. They had plenty of possession just outside the 22, and Jacob Perry’s grubber kick bounced up perfectly for Mantella who ran clear to score in the corner. Perry’s conversion cut the deficit to 14 points.

Then in the final play of the half a floating pass was intercepted by Elliott Obatoyinbo who ran away from the half way line to dive under the posts. Perry converted, and the teams went down the tunnel at the break with a real contest on their hands.

The second half began in similar fashion to how the first half ended as Scottish continued their momentum. They scored their third try on the 50 minute mark courtesy of Matt Eliet. The Trailfinders had a lineout deep in the Scottish 22 but it was turned over and Mantella went racing down the pitch. A penalty was then kicked to the corner, and Eliet broke away from the lineout to catch the defence by surprise and score. Crucially, the conversion went wide meaning the Trailfinders held a narrow two point advantage.

Ben Ward’s men then gradually began to wrestle back the momentum as they went back to basics by playing the territory under the floodlights, and they were rewarded on the hour as Alun Walker’s second try secured the bonus point. A penalty gave them a five metre lineout, and in trademark fashion the hooker was at the base of the maul to rumble over the line. The conversion went narrowly wide, but the visitors now led by seven points with just over 15 minutes remaining.

Will Harries then scored an outstanding try with just five minutes left to put the result beyond doubt. With the ball on the half way line the winger sneaked down the short side and used his blistering pace to run away from the defenders to trigger huge celebrations from the visiting supporters. May failed to add the extras, but the lead was extended to 12 points.

The visitors then went through the phases in the final seconds to close out another crucial victory in impressive style.

London Scottish:

15 Joe Luca Smith 14 Miles Mantella 13 Richie Vernon 12 Ben Mosses 11 Elliott Obatoyinbo 10 Jacob Perry 9 Ed Hoadley 1 Jordan Brodley 2 Pete Austin 3 Phil Cringle 4 Theo Vukasinovic 5 Byron Hodge 6 Luke Frost 7 Matt Eliet 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Jared Saunders 17 Jimmy Litchfield 18 Richard Palframan 19 Miles Wakeling 20 Josh Barton 21 Grayson Hart 22 Fraser Lyle

Scorers:

Tries: Miles Mantella (35 minutes) Elliott Obatoyinbo (38 minutes) Matt Eliet (48 minutes)

Conversions: Jacob Perry (35, 38 minutes)

Penalties:

Yellow Card: Byron Hodge

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 Howard Packman (replaced by Lewis Jones, 30 mins) 13 Guy Armitage 12 Craig Willis 11 Will Harries 10 Laurence May 9 Jordan Burns 1 Alex Lundberg (replaced by Jordan Els, 50 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 75 mins) 3 George Davis (replaced by Ben Betts, 60 mins) 4 Ben West 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Tom Denton, 65 mins) 6 Rohan O’Regan (replaced by Kieran Murphy (55 mins) 7 Jordy Reid 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jordan Els 18 Ben Betts 19 Tom Denton 20 Kieran Murphy 21 Ryan Foley 22 Lewis Jones

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (4, 60 minutes) Rohan O’Regan (13 minutes) David Johnston (21 minutes) Will Harries (73 minutes)

Conversions: Laurence May (4, 13, 21 minutes)

Yellow Card: Rohan O’Regan

Match Officials:

Referee: Dean Richards

Assistant Referees: William Burton & Simon Park

Fourth Official: Richard Haughton

Half Time Score: London Scottish 14 – 21 Ealing Trailfinders

Attendance: 1041

Richmond vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders got back to winning ways as they secured a hard fought 33-7 victory over Richmond to register their first win of the Championship Cup campaign.

At a blustery Athletic Ground points were always going to be at a premium but tries from Alun Walker, Laurence May, Jordan Els, Jordan Burns and Will Harries ensured that the Trailfinders left with a much-needed bonus point win.

Alun Walker got the Trailfinders off to the perfect start, scoring the first try of the match after just five minutes. A penalty allowed Laurence May to kick to the corner, and in trademark style the hooker broke away from the rolling maul to dot the ball down. May converted to give his side an early 7-0 advantage.

Richmond responded straight away however, with a try from Ronnie McLean to level the score. Three penalties in a row saw them kick right up to the line, and they went through the hands deep in the 22 with an overlap on the right wing which allowed McLean to score in the corner. Ben Cook’s touchline conversion made it 7-7 after just 10 minutes.

Ben Ward’s side then saw a number of opportunities pass them by as they went in search of the next score. Richmond managed to bring down a rolling maul as it appeared to be heading towards the line, and from the following phase Howard Packman went over but was held up as the frustration began to grow.

Neither side managed to get the breakthrough in the remainder of the first half as handling errors cost them, and with a late penalty from Cook going wide it saw the two teams go down the tunnel level on the score board in a low-scoring opening 40 minutes.

The Trailfinders again made a positive start after the break, taking the lead on the 45 minute mark to the relief of their supporters. A lineout deep in the Richmond 22 was gathered by Harry Casson, and after going through the phases a miss pass from Ryan Foley allowed Laurence May to stroll to the line unattended. The fly-half converted his own try to extend the lead to seven points.

Craig Willis then took a flat pass just five metres from the Richmond try line but in the process of being carried over the line by the supporting attackers a knock on saw the hosts escape.

The West Londoners then rallied in the final quarter to run away with the lead after a spell of three tries in 10 minutes.

Jordan Els marked his debut with a try with just over 10 minutes remaining as the visitors took control of the match. A penalty was kicked to the corner and once more the rolling maul rumbled over the line to see Els dive over. The conversion went narrowly wide, but the Trailfinders now had a crucial 12 point lead.

That lead was extended just three minutes later to secure the bonus point, thanks to an outstanding individual try from Jordan Burns. The scrum-half gathered the ball from the base of a ruck and dummied before racing away from 35 metres to dive under the posts and put the result beyond doubt. May added the extras to give his side a further cushion of 19 points.

There was still time for Will Harries to mark his first appearance of the season with a try in the final five minutes. Another maul went up to the line, and the ball was popped up to the Welshman who stepped his way over from close range. May again added the extras as the Trailfinders went past the 30 point mark.

Ben Ward’s men then closed out the match in the final three minutes to secure an impressive win over their local rivals, much to the delight of the visiting fans.

Richmond:

15 Jordan Simpson-Hefft 14 Marcus Webber 13 Morgan Ward 12 Ronnie McLean (c) 11 Jono Woodward 10 Ben Cook 9 Jamie Gibbs 1 Timmy Walford 2 Ross Grimstone 3 Craig Trenier 4 Max Crawford 5 Charlie Lenygon 6 Lorcan Dow 7 Toby Saysell 8 Harison Edwards

Replacements:

16 Rupert Freestone 17 Nathaniel Opedo 18 Dave Spelman 19 Rui D’Orey 20 Ed Milne 21 Callum Grant 22 Lewis Dennett

Scorers:

Tries: Ronnie McLean (11 minutes)

Conversions: Ben Cook (11 minutes)

Yellow Card: Nathaniel Opedo

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston 14 Howard Packman 13 Lewis Jones 12 Pat Howard (replaced by Craig Willis, 22 mins) 11 Will Harries 10 Laurence May 9 Ryan Foley (replaced by Jordan Burns, 65 mins) 1 Jake Ellwood (replaced by Jordan Els, 50 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 75 mins) 3 George Davis (replaced by Ben Betts, 60 mins) 4 Harry Casson (replaced by Tom Denton, 50 mins) 5 Ben West 6 Rohan O’Regan 7 Jordy Reid 8 Kieran Murphy (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Jordan Els 18 Ben Betts 19 Tom Denton 20 Andrew Durutalo 21 Jordan Burns 22 Craig Willis

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (5 minutes) Laurence May (44 minutes) Jordan Els (66 minutes) Jordan Burns (72 minutes) Will Harries (76 minutes)

Conversions: Laurence May (5, 44, 72, 76 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Dean Richards

Assistant Referees: Simon Park & Gareth Holsgrove

Fourth Official: Robert Bourke

Half Time Score: Richmond 7 – 7 Ealing Trailfinders

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