Ealing Trailfinders capped off their Championship winning campaign in style with a 59-12 rout of fourth placed Bedford Blues.
A hat-trick of tries from Reuben Bird-Tulloch, two from Angus Kernohan and scores from Simon Uzokwe, Cam Terry, Tom Collins and Frankie Sleightholme wrapped up the 2023-24 season in perfect fashion.
Uzokwe opened the scoring for the home side nine minutes in, crashing over the line after sustained pressure inside the Bedford 22. Dan Lancaster converted.
The hat-trick hero and man of the match Bird-Tulloch then extended the lead 10 minutes later after some slick hands in midfield allowed him to score untouched. Lancaster added the extras.
Bedford hit back through Joe Howard off the rolling maul on their third visit to the redzone, having knocked on the previous two times. Maisey missed the conversion.
The departing Lancaster signed off with a classy performance, epitomised by his use of the boot as he sent a delightful cross-field kick into Kernohan, who, despite being taken out in the air, ploughed through two defenders to score in the right-hand corner.
Straight off the kick-off Trailfinders were in again, as Bird-Tulloch notched his second try of the day through some brilliant hands again in midfield. Lancaster’s conversion was good.
Making matters worse for the away side, Luke Frost was sent to the sinbin for back chat to the referee just before the interval.
Starting off the second half just as they had finished the first, further infringements by the Blues reduced them to 13 players for the next five minutes, as Dean Adamson was carded for a deliberate knock on.
Trailfinders levelled the playing field however, as Frankie Sleightholme was also sent to the sinbin for an illegal tackle.
The home side, jubilant in their successful campaign, decided to pull some tricks out of the bag, as Lancaster fooled the entirety of Vallis Way with a cross-field kick off a penalty into Kernohan, who dotted down completely unchallenged.
Bedford scored their second and final try of the day through Sean French, whose slicing line carved straight through the Trailfinders defence to dot down under the posts. Maisey converted.
The Trailfinders rolling maul has been unstoppable all season, and it proved that way again 60 minutes in as Cam Terry crashed over the whitewash. Lancaster added the extras.
Bedford then found themselves down to 14 players again as Sean French was this time sent to the sinbin for a tip tackle.
The home side took full advantage of this through Tom Collins, after supporters’ player of the season Matt Cornish won the ball back inside the Bedford 22, and some quick hands fed in Collins for a clinical finish. Lancaster added the conversion.
Bird-Tulloch completed his hat-trick 71 minutes in after phase play broke down, parting the seas for him to cruise in untouched again. Lancaster’s excellent day from the boot continued.
The game, and a sensational season, was concluded rather fittingly by a brilliant try on debut from Sleightholme, who found himself in a 2 on 1 with Tom Collins down the left to score Trailfinders’ ninth try of the day. Lancaster’s effort from the boot was good again, leaving the final score 59-12.
Ealing Trailfinders were crowned 23/24 Championship Champions after their 20-12 loss to Doncaster at Castle Park due to Cornish Pirates’ win over Coventry.
Tries from Matt Cornish and Tom Collins were not enough to give Trailfinders the win on the day.
The result sets up the perfect end to the campaign as Ealing Trailfinders host Bedford Blues on May 25th.
Surprisingly given the stakes, Trailfinders started brightly. Playing straight into the Doncaster 22 and giving Cornish the opportunity to score one of his patented tries on the back of Trailfinders’ rolling maul.
However, this is where the creative freedom would stop for the Trailfinders with the game turning into a scrappy affair despite the perfect atmospheric conditions.
The Castle Park faithful had to wait almost 20 minutes for the next score. Ex-Trailfinder Ollie Fox crossing the whitewash against his old club to level the scores.
Bad then turned to worse as Craig Willis and Tom Collins were yellow carded in quick succession leaving Trailfinders with 13.
Following Tom Collins’ sin bin, Russ Bennett knocked over an easy penalty to leave the Knights up 10-7 at the break.
Much like the first term, the second half was a tense affair.
Trailfinders dealt with their player deficit well early on in the half, and back to the full compliment, created enough space for Tom Collins to beat two Doncaster players to finish brilliantly in the corner.
Doncaster would reply instantly, however, to grab the lead back with 20 to play in the game.
With a Russ Bennett penalty tacked on, Doncaster would close out the occasion to win 20-12.
Following Cornish Pirates 22-12 victory over Coventry, however, Ealing Trailfinders were crowned champions.
Thank you so much to all the fans that have supported us all year.
Ealing Trailfinders took complete control of their Championship title destiny with an emphatic 57-14 victory over an in-form Amphtill at Trailfinders Sports Club.
It took the league leaders only two minutes to lay down their marker, as heavy pressure inside the Ampthill 5-metre line allowed Matt Cornish to dive on a charged down box kick and give Trailfinders the lead.
The home side then extended their lead four minutes later through James Cordy-Redden, who ran a hard support line off scrum-half Craig Hampson to crash over the line.
A bizarre try got Ampthill back into the game, as ex-Trailfinders Academy player Brandon Jackson grubber kicked the ball twice to himself down the left flank to then set up Tom Bacon to score under the posts.
It did not take long for Trailfinders hit back however through Craig Willis, who sold the Ampthill defence with a dummy and then spun his way over the line from five metres out.
Willis then turned from scorer to provider as Trailfinders secured the bonus point 27 minutes in, making a brilliant breakaway on the halfway line as he sold the defence with a dummy again, to then pass inside to Dan O’Brien for an easy finish.
Ampthill emerged from the interval the more positive side, and they reduced the deficit through some classy work from Jackson again, who broke down the left with a burst of pace and delivered a delightful pass inside to Charlie Bracken for a simple score.
Trailfinders quashed the brief resurgence however through Richard Hardwick, crashing over the line off the back of the rolling maul.
With Ampthill unable to stop the powerful rolling maul, Mike Willemse then emulated Hardwick’s try ten minutes later to make it 38-14.
Relentless in attack, the home side continued to add on the tries, scoring their seventh through Rayn Smid, powering over the line on the right-hand side.
Next up to score was Cian Kelleher, using his remarkable pace to round the defence in the left-hand corner and dot down following a tremendous Barney Maddison breakaway.
Rounding off the game in style, Lloyd Williams finished off a well-worked team move that had two impressive offloads down the left flank to leave the final score 57-14.
An emphatic victory in Caldy saw Ealing Trailfinders take five points back to West London on Saturday.
A brace from Reuben Bird-Tulloch and tires from Bobby De Wee, Biyi Alo, Richard Hardwick, Dan O’Brien, Pat Howard and Mike Willemse helped Trailfinders to their fourteenth win of the season.
The result means Ealing Trailfinders are four points clear at the top of the Championship table with a game in hand.
The hosts opened the scoring through Rhys Hayes with a straight forward penalty in front of the posts. Bobby De Wee answered straight back when he powered his way over the line following a line break from Biyi Alo.
Reuben Bird-Tulloch scored his first of the afternoon following a Michael Dykes break away down the left hand side. Dykes eventually passed inside to the centre who had a clear run to the line.
Alo’s strength and determination drove him to the line to score the visitors’ third as he crashed over the defender in a pick and go effort.
Bird Tulloch’s secured the bonus point for the West Londoners just before the break. A short pass from Jordy Reid thread him through a gap on halfway, he skipped round the full back and raced to the line.
Ealing Trailfinders were in a commanding position at the break leading 6-26.
The West Londoners came out firing in the second half. A powerful line out drive meant Richard Hardwick was able to profit.
Trailfinders’ sixth try came from Dan O’Brien, neat handling across the back line opened up space for the winger to dive over in the corner.
Next to get in on the action was Pat Howard, an O’Brien breakaway and offload enabled Howard to extend the lead.
In the final play of the game, the visitors’ rolling maul proved too strong once again. Mike Willemse came up with the ball after the pack drove their way over the line.
Final score Caldy 18-49 Ealing Trailfinders.
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