Ealing Trailfinders vs Nottingham

Ealing Trailfinders made it three wins in a row with a six-try 45-20 victory over Nottingham at Vallis Way.

The hosts had a seven point lead at the break but three tries in the first 15 minutes of the second half saw them pull away and register the victory over Ian Costello’s side.

The six tries came courtesy of a Luke Carter hat-trick as well as scores from Luke Daniels, Kieran Murphy and Piers O’Conor to ensure a comfortable win.

Both teams had only played once in the last month due to postponements, and that was noticeable in the opening exchanges with a number of errors as the players got back up to speed.

Luke Daniels kicked the Trailfinders in front on the 15 minute mark with a penalty, and that lead was extended to 10 points with 25 minutes on the clock as Luke Carter scored the first try of the match.

Rayn Smid and James Cordy Redden both went within inches of the line, and then the scrum-half sniped over from close range.

Nottingham responded straight away with a try from Sean Scanlon to cut the deficit. The re-start was gathered and Tiff Eden’s cross kick found Scanlon who stepped his way over to score. The conversion from Eden cut the gap to just three points, before a penalty levelled the score at 10-10.

Kieran Murphy marked his captaincy of the Green and Whites with a crucial try before half time. Sam Dickinson offloaded to the back-rower, and he rampaged his way over the line by racing clear from 20 metres. Daniels converted, and ensured the Trailfinders had a 17-10 advantage at the break.

The start to the second half was where the game was won as the hosts raced clear of their opponents to secure the bonus point.

Piers O’Conor latched on to the back of a rolling maul to drive over the line just three minutes in to the second half, with Daniels converting to extend the lead to 24-10.

Luke Carter scored his second just two minutes later with the try of the match to register the four try bonus point. Mark Bright was in the clear, and an outrageous offload gave Carter an unattended run to the line.

Nottingham again responded with a try as they looked for a way back in to the match. A five metre lineout gave them the platform, and Jimmy Stevens broke away to dive over in the corner.

Luke Daniels got the Trailfinders’ fifth try of the match just before the hour to put the result beyond doubt. Peter Lydon took a quick tap penalty and a looping pass found Daniels on the wing who ran over in the corner. The touchline conversion extended the lead to 38-15.

Carter got his hat trick from the base of a ruck as he brought up the 40 point mark with another sniping run, and Jordan Coghlan then got Nottingham’s third try with a close range score.

The match ended with both sides playing expansive rugby, but the game was brought to an end with a comfortable victory for Ben Ward’s men.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon (replaced by Will Harries, 75 mins) 14 Luke Daniels 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Shane O’Leary 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Dan Grant Adamson, 68 mins) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Will Davis, 54 mins) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Alun Walker, 60 mins) 3 Lewis Thiede (replaced by Mark Tampin, 60 mins) 4 Sam Dickinson 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Morgan Allen, 70 mins) 6 Kieran Murphy (c) 7 Rayn Smid (replaced by Dan Temm, 61 mins) 8 Mark Bright

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Will Davis 18 Mark Tampin 19 Morgan Allen 20 Dan Temm 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Will Harries

Scorers:

Tries: Luke Carter (28, 45, 65 minutes) Kieran Murphy (39 minutes) Piers O’Conor (43 minutes) Luke Daniels (56 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (28, 39, 43, 45, 56, 65 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (15 minutes)

Nottingham Rugby:

15 Sean Scanlon 14 Billy Robinson 13 Joe Cobden 12 Oliver Evans (replaced by Gearoid Lyons, 26 mins) 11 George Furbank 10 Tiff Eden (replaced by Murray McConnell) 9 Darryl Veenendaal 1 James Penman (replaced by Tom West, 50 mins) 2 Jimmy Stevens (replaced by Ben Brownlie, 62 mins) 3 Rory Burke (replaced by Ben Hooper, 62 mins) 4 Danny Qualter 5 Alex Moon (replaced by Matt Everard) 6 Ben Morris (c) 7 Jordan Coghlan 8 Shane Buckley (replaced by Josh Poullett)

Replacements:

16 Ben Brownlie 17 Tom West 18 Ben Hooper 19 Matt Everard 20 Josh Poullet 21 Murray McConnell 22 Gearoid Lyons

Scorers:

Tries: Sean Scanlon (31 minutes) Jimmy Stevens (52 minutes) Jordan Coghlan (70 minutes)

Conversions: Tiff Eden (31 minutes)

Penalties: Tiff Eden (38 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Simon Harding

Assistant Referees: Nick Marshall & Brian Ravenhill

Fourth Official: Philip Davies

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 17 – 10 Nottingham Rugby

Attendance: 696

Storm Man of the Match: Luke Daniels

Ealing Trailfinders vs Rotherham Titans

Ealing Trailfinders produced a stunning comeback to complete a brilliant 37-35 victory over Rotherham Titans at Vallis Way.

With 30 minutes on the clock Ben Ward’s men trailed 26-3 but came roaring back with four tries, and eventually it came down to an 80th minute penalty from Luke Daniels to register what seemed to be an unlikely win earlier in the afternoon.

The West Londoners struggled to implement their expansive style in the first half, and it was the visitors who would race in to the lead.

They opened the scoring on the seven minute mark with a try from Caolan Ryan. The hosts were attacking but a pass was intercepted by the fly-half, and he had the pace to run away from the defenders from 60 metres out. Ryan converted his try, giving his side a 7-0 lead.

Luke Daniels, who was 100% from the kicking tee all afternoon cut the gap to 7-3 with a penalty, but Rotherham then dominated the next 20 minutes as they secured their try bonus point.

Drew Cheshire got their second try after a long looping pass found him on the wing and allowed him to run to the line unattended, and an almost identical try just five minutes later from Joe Barker ensured that they took control of the match.

The Titans’ fourth try came courtesy of Rhodri Davies as they extended their advantage to 26-3. A sniping run at the base of a ruck gave them space, and an offload inside found the scrum-half who ran clear from inside the 22. The conversion was added by Ryan, however the Trailfinders came surging back in the final minutes of the first half to get back in to the game.

Piers O’Conor scored two tries in as many minutes which gave the crowd cause for optimism after an uncharacteristic start. A penalty was kicked to the corner, and with the maul powering towards the line it allowed the outside centre to break away and score.

A neat combination from Joe Munro and Peter Lydon in the midfield then created space as the momentum built, and with the ball spun wide it was gathered by O’Conor who finished impressively after using his strength to bundle over the line. Daniels converted, and cut the deficit to 17-26 at the break.

Lewis Thiede then scored the Trailfinders’ third try of the match as the comeback continued straight after half time. Calum Waters made a break and took play up to the line, before Thiede gathered and used his power to smash through the remaining Rotherham defenders. The conversion then meant that the gap was just two points, however a penalty straight from the restart for the visitors put Rotherham 29-24 in front.

The comeback was completed with 55 minutes on the clock as Matt Cornish scored the all important try. Another penalty was kicked to the corner, and with the forwards rumbling towards the line Cornish dotted down to level the score. The conversion put the green and whites 31-29 ahead as the final quarter approached.

Both sides then looked to make the killer punch, and Rotherham came back strongly which led to another penalty for Ryan to kick over the posts to put the Titans one point ahead once again with 10 minutes left.

Luke Carter created a huge chance to score as he chipped over the top of the final defender, but the bounce of the ball was unkind and the Titans survived.

Daniels kicked another penalty to put the hosts back in front, but to the frustration of the home fans a penalty was conceded straight away which meant that Rotherham went 35-34 ahead with just five minutes left.

Ben Ward’s men refused to lie down and hammered away at the Rotherham defence in search of the match winning moment. That moment eventually came in the final minute as a penalty was awarded. Daniels kept his nerve to dissect the points once more and edge his team 37-35 in front.

There was still time for the restart but the hosts managed to close out the match and hold on for one of their most entertaining victories of the season. The result cuts the gap to Bristol at the top to 10 points with five league matches remaining as the Championship heads towards a grand stand finish.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Will Harries 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 Miles Mantella (replaced by Peter Lydon, 25 mins) 10 Aaron Penberthy 9 Calum Waters (replaced by Luke Carter, 61 mins) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Will Davis, 69 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 33 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede, 33 mins) 4 Barney Maddison (replaced by Sam Dickinson, 52 mins) 5 Harry Casson 6 Kieran Murphy (replaced by Morgan Allen, 67 mins) 7 Rayn Smid 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Will Davis 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Morgan Allen 20 Sam Dickinson 21 Luke Carter 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: Piers O’Conor (34 and 37 minutes) Lewis Thiede (49 minutes) Matt Cornish (57 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels, 34, 37, 49, 54 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (12, 71, 80 minutes)

Rotherham Titans:

15 Ben Foley, 14 Drew Cheshire, 13 Joe Barker, 12 Rory Jennings, 11 Jake Henry, 10 Caolan Ryan, 9 Rhodri Davies, 1 Toby Williams, 2 Jonny Murphy, 3 Andrew Foster, 4 Rob Louw, 5 Adam Peters, 6 Dan Grange, 7 Charlie Maddison, 8 Tom Calladine (c)

Replacements:

16 Luke Cole, 17 Tom Williams, 18 Brandon Palmer, 19 Matt Postlethwaite, 20 Will Thomas, 21 Will Porter, 22 Lee Millar

Scorers:

Tries: Caolan Ryan (7 minutes) Drew Cheshire (17 minutes) Joe Barker (23 minutes) Rhodri Davies (32 minutes)

Conversions: Caolan Ryan (7, 23, 32 minutes)

Penalties: Caolan Ryan (52, 67, 75 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: John Meredith

Assistant Referees: Simon Park & Nick Marshall

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 17 – 26 Rotherham Titans

Attendance: 642

Storm Man of the Match: Rayn Smid

Jersey Reds vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders got back to winning ways in impressive style with a 32-24 victory over Jersey Reds at State Santander International.

Ben Ward’s side registered a bonus point win with tries from James Gibbons, Will Harries, James Cordy Redden and Luke Carter to give themselves the perfect response to last weekend’s match against Bristol.

James Gibbons got the visitors off to the perfect start with a try after just nine minutes. A five metre lineout saw a maul power towards the try-line, and after it was brought down the loose-head was at the base to bundle his way over the line. Peter Lydon added the conversion, to give the sides an early 7-0 lead.

Jersey responded straight away with a try to level the score just four minutes later. The Trailfinders were penalised and it was kicked to the corner, which allowed a maul to rumble over the line with Jack Macfarlane dotting down. Brendan Cope added the extras to bring the hosts level.

The following exchanges saw plenty of kicking with both sides looking to win the territorial battle, and it took a moment of real quality for the next score to arrive.

The West Londoners had possession in the Jersey 22, and Aaron Penberthy’s cross kick looked to be asking too much of Will Harries but he rose brilliantly to gather under pressure and score in the corner. Lydon, who had his kicking boots on converted from the touchline to extend the advantage to 14-7.

With half time approaching a turning point saw the Trailfinders score again to give themselves breathing space at the break. Again Penberthy went high with a cross kick after having possession in the 22, and James Cordy Redden rose highest for another outstanding try to the delight of the vocal travelling supporters. Lydon converted again from the touchline, to give the visitors a 21-7 lead at half time.

It was Jersey who came out of the changing rooms quicker, and cut the deficit to 21-12 with a try from former Ealing man Seb Nagle Taylor. A rolling maul was again powering to the line, and the flanker broke away to get the hosts back in to the match.

Lydon, who was kicking well from the tee edged his side further ahead with a penalty from 40 metres to put the Trailfinders 24-12 in front, before a try from Luke Carter put the result beyond doubt on the 55 minute mark.

The ball spat out of the side of the ruck on the half way line, and the scrum-half was first to respond to gather and race away. He dummied to beat the final defender and finish his 50 metre run to secure the bonus point in style.

Lydon added another penalty to extend the advantage to 32-12, before Jersey rallied late on in search of a try bonus point.

Jack Macfarlane crossed for his second try of the match with 15 minutes remaining from another rolling maul to cut the gap to 32-19, and the 1448 in attendance began to believe in late drama.

Scrum-half Calum Waters, who returned to the match day squad made a great snipe from the base of a ruck and ran past a number of defenders before being hauled down just short as he went within inches of marking his return with a try.

Jersey ensured that it would go down to the wire with a Tom Pincus try with four minutes left. Jerry Sexton’s break gave them the opportunity, and he offloaded inside to the winger who finished from close range. The conversion crucially went wide to ensure that the gap remained more than a score, and the West Londoners saw out the final two minutes to register an impressive win.

Jersey Reds:

15 Jason Worrall 14 Tom Pincus 13 Scott Van Breda 12 George Eastwell 11 Josh Hodson 10 Brendan Cope (replaced by Oli Bryant) 9 Kieran Hardy (replaced by Joel Dudley) 1 Roy Godfrey (replaced by Jake Woolmore) 2 Jack Macfarlane (replaced by Nick Selway) 3 Leeroy Atalifo (replaced by Jake Armstrong) 4 Jerry Sexton 5 Dave Mckern (replaced by Uili Kolo’afa’i) 6 Rory Bartle 7 Seb Nagle-Taylor (replaced by Jake Upfield) 8 Max Argyle

Replacements:

16 Nick Selway 17 Jake Woolmore 18 Jake Armstrong 19 Uili Kolo’afa’i 20 Jake Upfield 21 Joel Dudley 22 Oli Bryant

Scorers:

Tries: Jack Macfarlane (13, 65 minutes) Seb Nagle-Taylor (49 minutes) Tom Pincus (76 minutes)

Conversions: Brendan Cope (13 minutes) Oli Bryant (65 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon 14 Will Harries 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Lewis Robling 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Aaron Penberthy 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Calum Waters, 65 mins) 1 James Gibbons (replaced Will Davis, 70 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 62 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede, 50 mins) 4 Barney Maddison 5 Harry Casson (c) 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Dan Temm (replaced by Mark Bright, 75 mins) 8 Morgan Allen (replaced by Rayn Smid, 63 mins)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Will Davis 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Rayn Smid 20 Mark Bright 21 Calum Waters 22 Luke Daniels

Scorers:

Tries: James Gibbons (9 minutes) Will Harries (32 minutes) James Cordy Redden (40 minutes) Luke Carter (55 minutes)

Conversions: Peter Lydon (9, 32, 40 minutes)

Penalties: Peter Lydon (52, 60 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Christophe Ridley

Assistant Referees: Darryl Chapman & Lionel Spooner

Fourth Official: Calum Howard

Half Time Score: Jersey Reds 7 – 21 Ealing Trailfinders

Attendance: 1448

Man of the Match: Aaron Penberthy

Ealing Trailfinders vs Bristol Rugby

Ealing Trailfinders pushed Bristol all the way in a nail-biting top of the table clash at Vallis Way, but eventually fell 27-28 to the league leaders.

A topsy turvy match saw the West Londoners dominate for large periods, but despite a late rally they were unable to register a famous win.

Tries from James Cordy Redden and Morgan Allen as well as a penalty try put Ben Ward’s men within touching distance of the victory, but Pat Lam’s side continued their 100% record in the league in dramatic circumstances.

Bristol took an early lead as Tusi Pusi went over the line with 10 minutes on the clock. A break took them to within inches of the line and the ball was spread wide straight away as the Samoan dived over the line. Ian Madigan’s conversion gave them a 7-0 advantage.

The Trailfinders responded straight away with a try from James Cordy Redden to level the score. Aaron Penberthy’s inch perfect cross kick was gathered by the winger who stormed his way to the line, and with Luke Daniels’ conversion it was 7-7 with 15 minutes gone.

Ben Ward’s men started to gain ascendancy at scrum-time and were enjoying dominance up front, which led to them taking the lead.

A penalty was kicked to touch and gave them a five metre lineout, and as it was driving towards the line the referee went under the posts to award the Trailfinders a penalty try. Steven Luatua was sent to the sin-bin as a result, but the West Country side responded immediately.

Sam Jeffries ran under the posts and after a check with the TMO for a controversial forward pass the try was given, with Madigan’s conversion levelling the score.

Luke Daniels kicked a penalty with the last play of the half to give the hosts a 17-14 lead at the break, but not before Harry Casson and Gaston Cortes were sent to the sin-bin for some aggressive behaviour on the floor.

Bristol made the perfect start to the second half with a long range try from Jordan Williams. The full-back got the ball inside his own half and used his scintillating place to race away from the defenders and dive over the line. Madigan again converted to give them a 21-17 lead, but Aaron Penberthy’s 35-metre drop goal cut the gap to just a point.

Jordan Williams scored again with 20 minutes remaining to give Bristol an eight point advantage. Sustained pressure in the 22 saw them hammer away at the try-line, and then Williams was the beneficiary of an overlap on the right wing to score.

The Trailfinders responded and gave everything in the final 15 minutes in order to record a memorable victory.

Kieran Murphy was denied a try as he was held up, but from the resulting five metre scrum Morgan Allen powered his way to the line and with Daniels’ conversion the deficit was down to just a point.

Ben Ward’s men had all of the possession as they chased the win with seconds left on the clock, but Bristol were able to hold out and leave London with a hard-fought victory.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Will Harries 13 Lewis Jones (replaced by Peter Lydon, 72 mins) 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Aaron Penberthy 9 Luke Carter 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Will Davis, 48 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 51 mins) 3 Lewis Thiede (replaced by Mark Tampin, 51 mins) 4 Harry Casson (replaced by Llewelyn Jones, 69 mins) 5 Barney Maddison 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Rayn Smid 8 Mark Bright (c) (replaced by Morgan Allen, 63 mins)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Will Davis 18 Mark Tampin 19 Morgan Allen 20 Llewelyn Jones 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: James Cordy Redden (14 minutes) Penalty Try (30 minutes) Morgan Allen (73 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (14, 73 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (40 minutes)

Drop Goal: Aaron Penberthy (44 minutes)

Yellow Card: Harry Casson

Bristol Rugby:

15. Jordan Williams; 14. Luke Morahan, 13. Siale Piutau, 12. Tusi Pisi (c), 11. Alapati Leiua; 10. Ian Madigan, 9. Rhodri Williams; 1. Ryan Bevington, 2. Jason Harris-Wright, 3. Gaston Cortes, 4. Joe Joyce, 5. Sam Jeffries, 6. Steve Luatua, 7. Dan Thomas, 8. Nick Haining.

Replacements:

16. Nick Fenton-Wells, 1 Soane Tonga’uiha, 18 Sione Faletau, 19 Jack Lam, 20 Andy Uren, 21 Billy Searle 22 Jack Tovey

Scorers:

Tries: Tusi Pisi (10 minutes) Sam Jeffries (35 minutes) Jordan Williams (41, 62 minutes)

Conversions: Ian Madigan (10, 35, 41, 62 minutes)

Yellow Cards: Steven Luatua, Gaston Cortes

Match Officials:

Referee: Luke Pearce

Assistant Referees: Steve Lee & Lionel Spooner

Fourth Official: Robert Warburton

Television Match Official: Graham Hughes

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 17 – 14 Bristol Rugby

Attendance: 1589

Storm Man of the Match: Luke Daniels

London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders returned to Greene King IPA Championship action with a hard-fought 25-3 victory over London Scottish at the Athletic Ground.

For the second week in a row the Trailfinders headed over Kew Bridge and kept their opponents try-less, with the defence once again the highlight in very challenging conditions.

Tries from Alun Walker, Mark Bright and a penalty try ensured that Ben Ward’s men earned their ninth consecutive victory in all competitions ahead of welcoming Bristol to Vallis Way in their next outing.

It was a very tight opening to the match and after a significant down pour of rain ahead of kick off both sides were trying to use their kicking game to gain territory.

Jake Sharp kicked the Scots in to an early 3-0 lead, but that was to be as good as it got for the hosts after the West Londoners began to grow in to the match.

Lewis Jones saw an early chance pass by with 10 minutes on the clock, the centre raced away from the half way line but was eventually caught up by the defence and bundled in to touch.

Luke Daniels levelled the score with a penalty, and they then took the lead as Alun Walker went over the line in trademark style.

A five metre lineout was gathered, and the forwards powered towards the line before the Scottish hooker broke away to score. Daniels converted from the touchline to extend the lead to 10-3, and that was how the score would remain until the break as the teams went down the tunnel after a tough 40 minutes.

Ben Ward’s men were forced to defend in the opening stages of the second half as the Scots rallied, but they held firm and managed to earn a penalty which was met with huge cheers.

Daniels’ second penalty extended the lead to 13-3 to take the advantage past a converted try, and in the final 20 minutes the Trailfinders took control of the match.

Mark Bright scored against his former club to put the result beyond doubt with 15 minutes left on the clock. Another five metre lineout powered towards the line, and the Club Captain bundled over the line to stretch the advantage to 18-3.

Dan Grant Adamson came on at scrum-half and his box kicks were putting the visitors in the right places to attack. A scrum five metres from the line saw the pack which was boosted by the bench hammering towards the line, and after a number of penalties the referee eventually went under the posts to award the Trailfinders a penalty try.

That gave them a 25-3 lead with three minutes remaining, and despite rallying in attempt to get a four-try bonus point they had to settle with just the victory which maintained their place in second in the Championship table.

London Scottish:

15 Tom Parton (replaced by Fraser Lyle) 14 Matt Williams 13 Ross Neal 12 Ben Mosses 11 Charlie Ingall 10 Jake Sharp (replaced by Ed Hoadley) 9 Alex Walker 1 Derrick Appiah (replaced by Ben Christie) 2 Isaac Miller (c) (replaced by Dan George) 3 Phil Cringle (replaced by Dino Waldren) 4 Tijuee Uanivi (replaced by Ed Milne) 5 James Tyas 6 Chris Walker 7 Matt Marley 8 Joe Atkinson (replaced by Max Berry)

Replacements:

16 Dan George 17 Ben Christie 18 Dino Waldren 19 Ed Milne 20 Max Berry 21 Ed Hoadley 22 Fraser Lyle

Scorers:

Penalties: Jake Sharp (5 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon, 14 Luke Daniels, 13 Lewis Jones, 12 Joe Munro (replaced by Piers O’Conor, 75 mins), 11 James Cordy Redden, 10 Rory Clegg, 9 Grayson Hart (replaced by Dan Grant Adamson, 60 mins), 1 James Gibbons,(replaced by Will Davis, 66 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish, 71 mins), 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede, 57 mins), 4 Harry Casson, 5 Barney Maddison, 6 Kieran Murphy (replaced by Morgan Allen 66 mins), 7 Rayn Smid (replaced by Dan Temm, 7 mins), 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish, 17 Will Davis, 18 Lewis Thiede, 19 Dan Temm, 20 Morgan Allen, 21 Dan Grant Adamson, 22 Piers O’Conor

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (28 minutes) Mark Bright (66 minutes) Penalty Try (77 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (28 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (14, 62 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Matthew Carley

Assistant Referees: Darryl Chapman & Paul Dix

Half Time Score: London Scottish 3 -10 Ealing Trailfinders

Attendance: 1145

Bedford Blues vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders completed a dramatic late comeback to secure a memorable 24-23 victory over Bedford Blues at Goldington Road.

In what was the final match of the 2017 the West Londoners saved one of their best performances until last, as they came from 18-0 down with just 20 minutes remaining to earn a sensational win.

A penalty try as well as scores from Luke Carter and Barney Maddison brought the Trailfinders back in to it, before a nerveless conversion from Luke Daniels completed the drama in front of 3401 in Bedford.

The first half was one to forget for Ben Ward’s side who were uncharacteristically slow out of the blocks, and it was the Blues who raced in to the lead with two first half tries.

Harry Sheppard kicked the hosts ahead with a penalty after seven minutes, and they dominated possession in the early stages as they moved in to the ascendancy.

They were rewarded with a try on the 20 minute mark, as a huge overlap at the top of their famous slope allowed captain Michael LeBourgeois a free run over the try-line for the first five pointer of the match. Shepherd’s conversion was successful, extending their lead to 10-0.

The Trailfinders continued to look flustered and struggled in the set-piece as a number of lineouts went astray, and they were then punished with Bedford going over for another try.

A turnover in the midfield was quickly pounced on and spun to Dean Adamson who dived over the line after some neat hands to find the winger in space. The conversion went wide, but a penalty five minutes later ensured that the hosts held an 18-0 lead at half time.

It was immediately clear that the Trailfinders looked a different side in the second half and they began with plenty of intent as they went through the phases.

Despite spending plenty of time in the Bedford 22 they couldn’t translate that on to the scoreboard until the hour mark when a penalty try brought them back in to the match. A five metre scrum powered towards the line, and referee Simon Harding went straight under the posts to cut the deficit to 18-7.

Bedford’s re-start went straight in to touch which signalled how the Trailfinders were forcing their way back in to the match, and just moments later Luke Daniels kicked a penalty from in front of the posts to trim the gap to just eight points.

Again from the re-start Ben Ward’s men responded straight away as their performance went up the gears, with Luke Carter going over for a try to bring them within one point.

A superb kick chase forced Bedford in to an error, and Mark Bright bundled towards their defence before Carter gathered from outside the 22 and raced away to the line. Daniels’ conversion ensured we headed in to a blockbuster finish with the score at 18-17.

However it was the Blues who were to score next as it looked like they had secured the win with eight minutes left. They battered away at the try-line after some dominance up front before Alex Rae gathered a flat pass and couldn’t be stopped from just five metres out. They extended their lead to 23-17, but crucially the conversion went wide which kept Ealing within a converted try of going in front.

That much-needed try came with just three minutes remaining to send the travelling supporters in to raptures. A penalty was kicked to the corner, and with the resulting maul hauled down Barney Maddison powered his way over from close range. The conversion was still needed, and Daniels kept his cool to impressively edge his side one point in front.

That wasn’t to be the end of the drama, as the Blues came flying back in search of the win. They went through the phases and knew that a penalty would give them the chance of victory, but the defence kept their discipline and forced Bedford in to a drop goal. Hooley’s attempt went wide and confirmed the victory for Ealing, in circumstances that looked very unlikely just 20 minutes earlier.

The result means that the Trailfinders consolidate their position in second, entering 2018 fifteen points ahead of Yorkshire Carnegie in third.

Bedford Blues:

15. Matt Gallagher 14. Elliot Clement-Hill 13. Ollie Dodge 12. Michael LeBourgeois (c) 11. Dean Adamson 10. Harry Sheppard (replaced by Will Hooley) 9. Lee Dickson (replaced by Jordan Burns) 1. Sean McCarthy (replaced by Camilo Parilli-Ocampo) 2. Tom Lindsay (replaced by George Edgson) 3. Ben Cooper (replaced by Alex Penny) 4. Jordan Onojaife 5. Will Carrick-Smith 6. Alex Rae 7. Jack Nay (replaced by Josh Buggea) 8. Jarad Williams

Replacements:

16. George Edgson 17. Camilo Parilli-Ocampo 18. Alex Penny 19. Ed Taylor 20. Josh Buggea 21. Jordan Burns 22. Will Hooley

Scorers:

Tries: Michael LeBourgeois (20 minutes) Dean Adamson (29 minutes) Alex Rae (72 minutes)

Conversions: Harry Sheppard (20 minutes)

Penalties: Harry Sheppard (7, 34 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 Miles Mantella (replaced by Peter Lydon) 10 Rory Clegg 9 Luke Carter 1 Will Davis (replaced by James Gibbons) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede) 4 Llewelyn Jones 5 Barney Maddison 6 Kieran Murphy (replaced by Morgan Allen) 7 Rayn Smid (replaced by Dan Temm) 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 James Gibbons 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Morgan Allen 20 Dan Temm 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: Penalty Try (56 minutes) Luke Carter (63 minutes) Barney Maddison (76 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (63, 76 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (61 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Simon Harding

Assistant Referees: Lionel Spooner & Ian Bibey

Fourth Official: Robbie Burke

Half Time Score: Bedford Blues 18 – 0 Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders vs Richmond

Ealing Trailfinders stormed their way to a victory over Richmond, scoring six tries in a 40-24 at Vallis Way.

In a scintillating first half display Ben Ward’s men raced in to a 40-5 lead at the break with impressive tries from Mark Bright, Barney Maddison, Piers O’Conor, Seb Stegmann and a brace from Alun Walker.

However the visitors responded in the second half and kept the Trailfinders out as they put in a spirited final 40 minutes.

In a frantic start where the hosts scored three times in the first 15 minutes, Mark Bright opened the scoring with just 180 seconds on the clock. A number of phases took the Trailfinders in to the Richmond 22, and Bright saw a gap from the base of the ruck to run through unattended under the posts. Luke Daniels converted, giving his side a 7-0 advantage.

That lead was then doubled just two minutes later, with Barney Maddison getting on the score sheet. Seb Stegmann made a scintillating break from inside his own 22 which took him to within five metres of the line, and when the ball was recycled it allowed Maddison to smash his way over from close range.

Piers O’Conor got the third on the 15 minute mark with the outstanding try of the match. Straight from the top of a lineout the ball was spun to Luke Daniels who raced clear, and drew in the last defender to allow O’Conor a clear run to the line in the corner. The conversion was just wide, but the hosts had a commanding 19-0 advantage.

Alun Walker then secured the bonus point try before the half hour. More patient build up play took Ben Ward’s men up to the line, and the hooker dummied to allow him a clear run as he dodged the last of the Richmond defence.

Richmond responded straight away to cut the deficit. Ealing were hammering away at the line, but Luc Jones intercepted and ran the length of the field to score their first try of the game.

There was still time for another two tries before the break, with Walker scoring his second with 32 minutes on the clock. A five metre lineout gave the hosts the perfect platform, and with the maul rolling towards the line the hooker broke away to score. Daniels’ conversion extended the lead to 33-5.

Seb Stegmann joined the party with the sixth try ahead of half time. With some loose ball in the midfield, O’Conor fizzed a looping pass to the winger who ran clear in the corner. Daniels again converted, giving the Trailfinders a 40-5 lead at the break.

With a comprehensive lead at the break the hosts were unable to replicate their first half display in the second half and it was Richmond who enjoyed the majority of possession in the final 40 minutes.

They struck first in the second half with a try from Jono Woodward on 42 minutes. A wide pass after a number of phases on the line found Woodward in acres of space, and he ran in to the try-line to cut the deficit to 40-10.

Will Harries had a chance out wide as he gained space outside the 22, but after storming towards the line he was dragged down by the scrambling visitors’ defence.

Richmond struck again on the hour mark for their third try of the afternoon, with Rob Kirby spotting a gap straight through the middle to run clear from inside the 22.

Joe Munro then powered through the defence with a typical big carry, but he had no support and the ball was turned over.

With the last play of the match Richmond got their four-try bonus point, as Jesse Liston was the beneficiary of a strong carry to bundle over.

The result means that the Trailfinders stay second in the Greene King IPA Championship, however they will be looking for a more consistent display with the trip to Bedford next weekend.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Seb Stegmann 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 Will Harries (replaced by Peter Lydon, 68 mins) 10 Rory Clegg 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Dan Grant Adamson, 71 mins) 1 Will Davis (replaced by James Gibbons, 58 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Rhys Lawrence, 72 mins) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede, 58 mins) 4 Harry Casson (replaced by Llewelyn Jones, 56 mins) 5 Barney Maddison 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Rayn Smid 8 Mark Bright (c) (replaced by Morgan Allen, 64 mins)

Replacements:

16 Rhys Lawrence 17 James Gibbons 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Morgan Allen 21 Dan Grant Adamson 22 Peter Lydon

Scorers:

Tries: Mark Bright (4 minutes) Barney Maddison (6 minutes) Piers O’Conor (13 minutes) Alun Walker (22, 32 minutes) Seb Stegmann (38 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (4, 6, 22, 32, 38 minutes)

Richmond:

15 Rob Kirby 14 Martin Freeman 13 Cameron Mitchell 12 Ronnie McLean 11 Jono Woodward 10 James Swan 9 Luc Jones 1 Jeremy Cunnew 2 Ross Grimstone 3 Joe Tarrant 4 Will Warden 5 Chris Davies 6 Jesse Liston 7 Jack Allcock 8 Chris Davies

Replacements:

16 Jason Phipps 17 Will Goodrick-Clarke 18 Max Crawford 19 Rhodri Adamson 20 Rory Damant 21 Toby Saysell 22 Craig Trenier

Scorers:

Tries: Luc Jones (27 minutes) Jono Woodward (43 minutes) Rob Kirby (60 minutes) Jesse Liston (80 minutes)

Conversions: Rob Kirby (60, 80 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: J P Doyle

Assistant Referees: Robert Warburton & Nigel Carrick

Fourth Official: Michael Hudson

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 40 – 5 Richmond

Attendance: 1030

Storm Man of the Match: Luke Carter

Hartpury RFC vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders made it two wins in a row with a very impressive 31-7 victory over Hartpury at College Stadium.

Ben Ward’s side scored five tries and showed their class with a strong second half performance which proved too much for the hosts to deal with as the West Londoners left with a bonus point win.

A double from Alun Walker as well as scores from Barney Maddison, Harry Casson and Dan Temm ensured that the Trailfinders ended the second block of the Greene King IPA Championship with a morale-boosting away victory.

It was the hosts that started strongly and they went in front with a try from Will Tanner after just nine minutes. A lineout inside the 22 gave them the field position and with the rolling maul powering towards the line, Tanner was able to bundle over to score the opening points of the match. The conversion from James Williams extended their lead to 7-0.

The Trailfinders suddenly woke up and responded straight away with a try of their own from Barney Maddison. A string of penalties took them up to the line, and despite the maul being brought down Alun Walker smartly popped the ball up from the ground which allowed Maddison to smash his way over from just two metres out. Luke Daniels, who continued his impressive form from the tee levelled the scores at 7-7.

For the remainder of the first half both sides were battling for territory in what was a very close encounter. With the conditions making running rugby a challenge the teams were relying on a kicking game to create opportunities.

Piers O’Conor went close for the visitors with some nice footwork seeing him evade the defenders at the base of a ruck, but after racing in to the 22 he was dragged in to touch by the battling Hartpury defence.

Williams missed the chance to put the hosts ahead with a long-range penalty which went to the right of the posts, and the West Londoners punished the error with a try on the brink of half time to go down the tunnel with the lead.

In the final play of the half Luke Carter dummied and was brought down within touching distance of the line, and it allowed former Hartpury man Harry Casson to gather from the ruck and power his way over to give the visitors a much-needed lift. Daniels converted, giving Ben Ward’s men a hard-fought 14-7 advantage at the break.

The Trailfinders got the second half off to the perfect start with a try from Alun Walker just two minutes in to the final 40. Rayn Smid powered through the middle of the Hartpury defence, and the ball was spun wide straight away allowing Walker to run in unattended. Daniels converted from the touchline to extend the lead to 21-7.

Ealing then went in search of the bonus point score and were left frustrated as a number of chances passed them by around the hour mark. A dummy from Walker set Luke Carter free down the wing, but his pass back outside towards Will Harries was fumbled and Hartpury survived.

The patience paid off with 65 minutes on the clock as Alun Walker went over for the bonus point score to ensure that his side would return with all five points. A penalty gave the visitors a lineout just five metres from the line, and as so often this season it was the Scot who was able to power over the line from close range.

Dan Temm added some gloss to the scoreline with 10 minutes remaining with a long range try to put the match beyond doubt. The flanker gathered the ball from the base of a ruck 45 metres from the tryline and went himself, stepping a number of defenders to race clear for try number five.

The game opened up in the final moments with both sides looking to add to their tallies but the Trailfinders’ defence held firm and limited Hartpury to just the solitary try, which ensured that the match would finish with a 31-7 victory for the Londoners ahead of the return of the British and Irish Cup next weekend.

Hartpury:

15 Mike Wilcox 14 Aquile Smith 13 Tom Seabrook 12 Luke Eves 11 Ed Sheldon 10 James Williams 9 Harry Cochrane 1 Dan Murphy 2 Will Tanner 3 Alex Gibson 4 Charlie Beckett 5 BJ Edwards 6 Iain Grieve 7 Mat Gilbert 8 Rhys Oakley (c)

Replacements:

16 Henry Walker 17 Mike Flook 18 Ciaran Knight 19 Joe Quinn 20 Joe Dancer 21 Charlie Chapman 22 Jacob Perry

Scorers:

Tries: Will Tanner (9 minutes)

Conversions: James Williams (9 minutes)

Yellow Card: Rhys Oakley

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Will Harries 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Rory Clegg (replaced by Lewis Robling) 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Grayson Hart) 1 Will Davis (replaced by James Gibbons) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Rhys Lawrence) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede) 4 Barney Maddison 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Llewelyn Jones) 6 Rayn Smid (replaced by Morgan Allen) 7 Dan Temm 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Rhys Lawrence 17 James Gibbons 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Morgan Allen 21 Grayson Hart 22 Lewis Robling

Scorers:

Tries: Barney Maddison (13 minutes) Harry Casson (39 minutes) Alun Walker (42, 63 minutes) Dan Temm (67 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (13, 39, 42 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Christophe Ridley

Assistant Referees: Darryl Chapman & Greg Garner

Fourth Official: Alexander Thomas

Half Time Score: Hartpury 7-14 Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders vs Doncaster Knights

Ealing Trailfinders got back to wining ways with an emphatic 57-14 victory over Doncaster Knights at Vallis Way.

Ben Ward’s side scored eight tries in a brilliant display, where they showed impressive intensity throughout to record a huge win.

Luke Daniels, who was on kicking duty and kicked brilliantly throughout opened the scoring with a penalty in the third minute to give the Trailfinders an early lead, however it was the Knights who responded and went in front.

A turnover gave the visitors a good attacking position inside the 22, and a grubber in behind allowed Charles Foley to gather the ball and dive over the line. Dougie Flockhart converted, putting his side 7-3 ahead.

However the Trailfinders didn’t look back and powered their way in to the lead, and once they had it they never sacrificed it as the performance went from strength to strength.

Alun Walker bundled over the line from a rolling maul on the 12 minute mark to put the West Londoners back in front, and the conversion from Daniels edged them 10-7 ahead.

The remaining 30 minutes of the first half was then controlled by the Trailfinders who stormed their way in front. Kieran Murphy marked his return to action with an outstanding score to give the hosts some breathing space.

Straight from the top of a lineout the ball was spun straight to the flanker, who smashed his way through the middle of the defence and had the pace to dive over unattended. Daniels’ conversion extended the lead to 10 points, and that was to be increased just five minutes later.

James Cordy Redden scored his first of the afternoon to put the Green and Whites 24-7 in front. A turnover gave the Trailfinders front foot ball, and Rayn Smid carried towards the Doncaster 22 before unleashed the winger who used his pace to race clear down the touchline and score in the corner.

The bonus point was secured before half time, with Lewis Jones marking his first Championship start of the season with a try to ensure of the extra point. Rory Clegg took the ball up to the line after drawing in a number of defenders he popped the ball to Jones who had a free run to the line from just outside the 22. That score meant that the West Londoners had a convincing 31-7 lead at half time.

Ben Ward’s men showed no signs of slowing down in the second half, and started with another try from Lewis Jones who was on his way to the Storm Man of the Match Award. A turnover gave the Trailfinders the ball underneath their own posts, but they showed huge ambition by playing from deep. Joe Munro’s looping pass found Cordy Redden on the wing who ran up to the half way line before passing to Jones who had the pace to run clear from 40 metres and dive over the line. Daniels, who missed just one kick all afternoon converted to extend the lead to 38-7.

Rayn Smid got on the scoresheet just before the hour mark as the hosts continued to dominate. An overlap gave them a two on one on the wing, and Murphy drew in the final man before allowing Smid to run to the line and dive over in the corner.

Doncaster then began to gain some of the ascendancy in the final quarter and went over for a consolation try with 12 minutes left on the clock. After a number of phases in the 22 the ball was spun to Cameron Cowell who used his footwork to find the try-line after evading a number of tackles.

There was still time for Ealing to respond, and they rounded off the afternoon with two late tries to add some gloss to the scoreboard.

A turnover in the Doncaster 22 saw the ball spill out of the ruck, and it was Matt Cornish who was first to react which allowed him to race through the middle and slide under the posts. That brought up the 50 point tally to the delight of the supporters.

Smid then got his second of the match with two minutes left. From the base of a scrum inside the Doncaster 22 the South African used his strength to bulldoze his way to the line and round off the scoring.

The final whistle was met with loud cheers after an impressive 57-14 win, a victory which cements the Trailfinders’ as second in the Championship table ahead of next Saturday’s trip to Hartpury.

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Luke Daniels 14 Will Harries 13 Lewis Jones (replaced by Piers O’Conor) 12 Joe Munro 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Rory Clegg (replaced by Lewis Robling) 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Grayson Hart) 1 Will Davis (replaced by James Gibbons) 2 Alun Walker3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede) 4 Barney Maddison 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Llewelyn Jones) 6 Kieran Murphy (replaced by Matt Cornish) 7 Rayn Smid 8 Mark Bright

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 James Gibbons 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Grayson Hart 21 Lewis Robling 22 Piers O’Conor

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (12 minutes) Kieran Murphy (20 minutes) James Cordy Redden (24 minutes) Lewis Jones (34, 45 minutes) Rayn Smid (56, 76 minutes) Matt Cornish (73 minutes)

Conversions: Luke Daniels (12, 20, 24, 34, 46, 56, 73 minutes)

Penalties: Luke Daniels (3 minutes)

Doncaster Knights:

15 Cameron Cowell 14 Dougie Flockhart 13 Charlie Foley 12 Lloyd Hayes 11 Curtis Wilson 10 Declan Cusack 9 Tom James 1 Owen Evans 2 Curtis Langdon 3 Joe Sproston 4 Matt Challinor 5 Morgan Eames 6 Alex Shaw 7 Michael Hills (c) 8 Jason Hill

Replacements:

16 Ben Hunter 17 Jack Bergmanas 18 Colin Quigley 19 Stone Priestley-Nagle 20 Junior Bulumakau 21 Michael Heaney 22 Simon Humberstone

Scorers:

Tries: Charles Foley (6 minutes) Cameron Cowell (70 minutes)

Conversions: Dougie Flockhart (6, 70 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Steve Lee

Assistant Referees: Bill Burton & Brian Ravenhill

Fourth Official: Jack Sutton

Half Time Score: Ealing Trailfinders 31 – 7 Doncaster Knights

Storm Man of the Match: Lewis Jones

Attendance: 574

Nottingham vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders suffered an agonising late defeat, with a 79th minute penalty from Tiff Eden securing a 28-27 victory for Nottingham at Lady Bay.

The West Londoners came within seconds of completing a memorable comeback after they came from 22-0 down to lead 27-25 only to be defeated in the final minute.

The Trailfinders will look back at the opening 20 minutes as their downfall as they conceded three early tries, and apart from that were the dominant side for the following hour.

Nottingham started impressively and scored with five minutes on the clock to open their account for the afternoon. The hosts had sustained pressure in the Ealing 22, and the ball found Oli Evans who stepped his way through the defence to score. Tiff Eden’s conversion gave his side a 7-0 advantage.

Just two minutes later the lead was extended as Oli Evans went over the line for the second time in 120 seconds. A cross kick floated over the pitch and eventually found the centre who was again able to evade his defender to score. The conversion went wide, but it wasn’t to be long before another score but them in control of the match.

From the top of a lineout winger Billy Robinson crashed his way through three tackles from outside the 22 and showed his pace to race clear and dive under the posts. Eden’s conversion gave Ian Costello’s side a 19-0 lead after just 13 minutes.

Eden kicked a penalty to push the lead to 22-0, before the Trailfinders woke up and began to show the form which has been with them throughout the opening to the 2017/18 campaign.

Mark Bright went within inches of scoring but the ball went forward at the crucial moment, however Ben Ward’s side were growing in confidence as they looked for a way back in to the game.

The comeback began on the 30 minute mark with Alun Walker driving over from a rolling maul to get their first points of the afternoon. Peter Lydon’s conversion cut the deficit to 22-7.

Walker scored an identical try with 37 minutes on the clock to reduce the gap again. From a lineout the hooker was at the back of a maul and claimed the ball before dotting down. It looked as if the teams would be go in at half time with Nottingham leading 22-12, but it got even better for the Trailfinders with the final play of the half.

In-form winger Will Harries scored one of the tries of the season so far to bring Ealing within one score. Joe Munro burst out of the 22 before offloading to Mark Bright, who drew in the final defender and released Harries who had the pace to run in unattended. The conversion went wide, but in the space of five minutes the Trailfinders had scored 17 points to get back in to the match.

Eden’s first act of the second half was to kick a penalty and extend Nottingham’s lead to 25-17, but the London side were creating a number of chances as they looked for the bonus point score.

Rory Clegg came on to increase the tempo in the back-line and Piers O’Conor had a chance on the 50 minute mark. Seb Stegmann took a high ball and set the centre free, but as he entered the 22 the ball went forward and play re-started with a Nottingham scrum.

Joe Munro then bundled over the line on the hour mark to secure the try bonus point and cut the deficit to just one point. The maul, which had been an impressive weapon all afternoon was rumbling towards the line, and Munro broke away from close range to score. Clegg converted, which meant that Nottingham’s lead was 25-24 with 20 minutes to go.

Ealing continued to press as they looked to take the lead, and Lewis Jones had an opportunity on the left wing but his kick ahead fell kindly for the hosts who were able to clear without danger.

The game burst in to life again with five minutes remaining, as a penalty for the Trailfinders allowed Clegg to kick his side in to the lead. He was successful which meant that for the first time in the match Ealing were in front as the clock ticked away.

However from the re-start Ealing were penalised and gave Nottingham the chance to re-gain the advantage. From 45 metres Eden struck impressively to edge them 28-27 ahead to the delight of the home crowd.

The visitors refused to lie down and had one last chance from a scrum but Nottingham were awarded a penalty which allowed them to kick the ball dead and secure a nail-biting victory.

The Trailfinders stay second in the table but will look to respond positively, and are back in action next Saturday when they take on Doncaster Knights at Vallis Way.

Nottingham Rugby:

15 Sean Scanlon 14 Billy Robinson 13 Oli Evans 12 Gearoid Lyons 11 David Williams 10 Tiff Eden 9 Darryl Veenendaal 1 James Penman 2 Jimmy Stevens 3 Will Stuart 4 Tom Holmes 5 Danny Qualter 6 Ben Morris 7 Matt Everard (c) 8 Shane Buckley

Replacements:

16 Ben Brownlie 17 Aniseko Sio 18 Rory Burke 19 Josh Poullet 20 Jordan Coghlan 21 Murray McConnell 22 Vili Hakalo

Scorers:

Tries: Oli Evans (5, 9 minutes) Billy Robinson (13 minutes)

Conversions: Tiff Eden (5, 13 minutes)

Penalties: Tiff Eden (20, 48, 79 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon (replaced by Lewis Jones) 14 Will Harries 13 Piers O’Conor 12 Joe Munro 11 Seb Stegmann 10 Aaron Penberthy (replaced by Rory Clegg) 9 Luke Carter (replaced by Grayson Hart) 1 James Gibbons (replaced by Will Davis) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Matt Cornish) 3 Mark Tampin (replaced by Lewis Thiede) 4 Barney Maddison 5 Harry Casson (replaced by Llewelyn Jones) 6 Rayn Smid 7 Arthur Ellis 8 Mark Bright (c)

Replacements:

16 Matt Cornish 17 Will Davis 18 Lewis Thiede 19 Llewelyn Jones 20 Grayson Hart 21 Rory Clegg 22 Lewis Jones

Scorers:

Tries: Alun Walker (31, 37 minutes) Will Harries (39 minutes) Joe Munro (59 minutes)

Conversions: Peter Lydon (31 minutes) Rory Clegg (59 minutes)

Penalties: Rory Clegg (77 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Jack Makepeace

Assistant Referees: Gareth Holsgrove & Matthew Daubney

Fourth Official: James O’Brien

Half Time Score: Nottingham Rugby 22 – 17 Ealing Trailfinders

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