Ealing Trailfinders secured a commanding 7-57 bonus point victory over Cambridge this afternoon.

Tries from Biyi Alo, Matt Cornish, Lloyd Williams, Ollie Newman, Andrew Davidson, Bobby De Wee, Reuben Bird-Tulloch, Mike Willemse and Dan O’Brien helped them to their tenth win in the league this season.

Trailfinders moved 12 points clear at the top of the Championship table after this weekend’s action.

The hosts started the brighter of the two teams. Turnover ball on halfway allowed Kwaku Asiedu to take advantage down the left wing and run round under the posts to make it a straight forward seven pointer.

This would prove to be Cambridge’s best moment of the half as Ealing Trailfinders went on to score five unanswered tries. Biyi Alo opened the scoring for the visitors, powering himself over from just a couple of metres out. Five minutes later, Matt Cornish scored Trailfinders’ second. It was smart thinking from the hooker, as the forwards were counter rucking, he picked the ball up and dived over the line.

Lloyd Williams would provide the next try of the game. A mazy run from Reuben Bird-Tulloch following a broken tackle on halfway allowed him to gift the Welshman a five pointer. Bird-Tulloch popping it up to him from two metres out after a great covering tackle from the Cambridge defence. Minutes later, Ollie Newman secured the bonus point. He broke from the driving maul to dot down out wide.

40 minutes was up on the clock, however Andrew Davidson wasn’t ready to head to the sheds just yet. The second-row hit a short line off Williams and crashed through the defensive line to score, making the half-time score 7-31 in favour of Ealing Trailfinders.

The West Londoners’ physically dominant display would continue in the second half, with Bobby De Wee first to get his name on the score sheet. De Wee had defenders hanging from him as he fell over the line to extend the lead.

With a quarter of the match to play, Reuben Bird-Tulloch raced away to score the eighth try of the contest. He intercepted a miss pass and dotted down underneath the sticks. Ten minutes later, replacement hooker Mike Willemse would break through the Blood and Sand’s defensive line after a pick and go, to bring up a half-century of points for Trailfinders.

Dan O’Brien would have the final say in this encounter. A huge hit from Will Montgomery knocked the ball loose allowing O’Brien to pick up inside his own half and run away to the try line.

An emphatic performance and second half clean sheet meant Ealing Trailfinders took all five points back to West London.

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Ealing Trailfinders increased their lead at the top of the Championship table with their 40-12 victory over Cornish Pirates at TFSC.

A brace from James Cordy Redden and tries from Matt Cornish, Jonah Holmes, Reuben Bird-Tulloch, and Dan O’Brien meant Trailfinders took all the points from this top-of-the-table clash.

The win leaves Trailfinders eight points clear at the top of the table with a game in hand on Pirates in second.

The match started perfectly for Trailfinders. A couple of early penalties against Pirates gave Billy Twelvetrees the opportunity to kick the Homeside down to the opposition 5m line, and Cornish opened the scoring from the back of the resulting maul.

The second came quickly after, as Jonah Holmes crashed over in the right corner to stretch the score to 14-0 in as many minutes with Twelvetrees’ conversion.

Pirates replied just three minutes later as the scorers struggled to keep up. Will Trewin latched onto the end of a Ruaridh Dawson break to score under the sticks.

Then Bird-Tulloch, on his 50th game in Green and White, carried hard from short range to score under the posts after a period of sustained Trailfinders pressure in the Pirates’ red zone.

Sustained pressure was the feauture of the next ten minutes of the game, as Trailfinders had chance after chance in opposition territory but failed to convert.

The pressure was somewhat self-inflicted by Pirates who kept giving penalties away, resulting in two yellow cards in the 31st and 34th minutes.

These sin-bins led to Cordy-Redden wrapping up the first-half bonus point just before halftime, meaning the two sides went into the shed with the scoreboard reading 26-7.

The second term would not start as quickly as the first with a few passes going to floor, but Pirates would make their job even harder as Joe Elderkin was yellow carded for a high tackle.

JCR would capitalise once more, as a lovely first-phase set play gave him an easy run down the left wing.

The Pirates then battled back well and managed to keep the ball much better than they had for the rest of the game. They went on to score in the 63rd minute, making the score 33-12.

Trailfinders then killed off the game with some brilliant line speed and a sensible kicking game, slowing the pace of the match.

The occasion was then capped off by O’Brien latching on to an Ollie Newman grubber hacked through into the backfield, leaving the final score 40-12.

Ealing Trailfinders were able to secure a tense 36-20 victory against Hartpury University RFC at TFSC.

 

Tries from Tom Collins (2), Matt Cornish (2), Craig Hampson and a penalty from Billy Twelvetrees secured an important bonus point victory for Trailfinders, which sees them remain top of the Championship table.

 

The home side made an electric start to the game, scoring within two minutes as a two on one down the left flank allowed Collins in to score in the corner. Craig Willis missed the conversion.

 

Hartpury’s fly-half Harry Bazalgette reduced the deficit to two with a penalty in front of the posts.

 

Trailfinders answered emphatically as Cornish drove off the back of the maul inside the Hartpury 5-metre line and crashed over the whitewash. Willis nailed the extras.

 

Collins then scored his second of the day after an impressive breakthrough by Hampson, who fed in Collins to score with ease under the posts. Twelvetrees, on for Willis, converted.

 

Cornish emulated the form of Collins to also score his second, bursting through the line off a lineout on the 5-metre line and bundling his way over just before the half. Twelvetrees’ conversion was good to make it 26-8 at half time.

 

Trailfinders started the second half in the same fashion as the first, as man of the match Richard Hardwick made a brilliant 20-metre breakaway from the halfway line to set up Hampson for an easy finish under the sticks. Twelvetrees conversion was good.

 

Hartpury found themselves back in the game after sustained pressure inside the Trailfinders 5-metre line led to Will Montgomery collapsing the maul, resulting in him being sent to the sin bin and a penalty try.

 

The home side found themselves down to 13 or 14 for a lot of the second half, as two subsequent high tackles led to Pat Howard and Will Goodrick-Clarke being sent to the sin-bin also.

 

Hartpury were rarely able to take advantage of the varying men advantage but did manage to capitalise off a rolling maul as Harry Short crashed over to reduce the deficit to 13 points. Bazalgette missed the extras.

 

After holding up several waves of Hartpury attack, some effective defence turned into brilliant offense which then set up Twelvetrees to kill the game, nailing a penalty through the posts to leave the final score 36-20.

Ealing Trailfinders secured an emphatic 49-31 victory over Doncaster Knights in a frantic 12 try thriller at TFSC.

The away side took the lead on four minutes through Rhys Tait after a brilliant breakaway down the right flank from Maliq Holden, who grubber kicked through to himself only to be felled at the line, which Tait then picked up and bundled over. Bennett’s conversion was missed.

Trailfinders answered impressively, putting the Doncaster attack under serious pressure and driving them out on their own 5-metre line. Matt Cornish scored off the rolling maul to give the home side the lead, with Craig Willis adding the extras.

The home side scored again three minutes later, as Rayn Smid powered over the gain line after some slick play in the build-up to crash over the whitewash. Willis nailed the conversion to make it 14-5.

Trailfinders began to exert their dominance on the game, extending their lead further with a magnificent team try that began with a break down the left-hand side, and was stylishly finished off by Tom Collins with a quick step to cruise over the line. Willis’ clinical day with the boot continued.

An excellent hold up by Trailfinders on their own try-line prevented an impressive Doncaster breakaway from scoring, as Archie Smeaton fed in Ollie Fox off a 30-metre run only to be felled at the line.

Doncaster did make their efforts count not long after however, as a brilliant out of the back of the hands offload sucked in two Trailfinders defenders, leaving George Simpson free to score in the corner. Bennett added the conversion.

A spectacular Richard Hardwick try made it a 16 point lead again, as he broke through two hard-hitting tackles and burst through the Doncaster line to score from 40-metres out under the posts. Willis’ simple nudge made it a 28-12 game at half time.

Trailfinders started the second half emphatically, as Cornish scored his second of the day in the same fashion as his first, off the rolling maul. Willis converted again.

The home side continued to crank up the pressure, and made it count as Smid scored his second of the day, crossing the line uncontested after a smooth miss pass off a tap and go penalty. Willis’ conversion was good.

Doncaster put a dent in Trailfinders’ 30-point lead with a try finished and converted by Russell Bennett, who was played in by a ridiculous offload from Metcalf after a swiftly executed team move.

They scored again with slick try off a penalty in their own half. Fly-half Billy McBryde broke through Trailfinders’ line for a 25-metre run and calmly passed the ball inside to Metcalf who sauntered over the line. Bennett drop-kicked the extras.

Jonah Holmes’ try killed the spirited Doncaster revival as he was set up in acres of space by a delightfully chipped cross-field kick from Tom Collins to finish with ease. Willis made it a perfect day from the tee with his seventh conversion of the game.

Joe Margetts’ consolation score for Doncaster in the corner reduced the final score to 49-31, after Barney Maddison was sent to the sin bin in the final minutes to round off a frantic game.

Ealing Trailfinders started 2024 with a bang as they headed back to the top of the Championship table with a 54 – 28 bonus-point victory at home to Caldy.

Rayn Smid, Jonah Holmes and Henry Walker all scored twice, with Lloyd Williams and Mike Willemse also touching down. Craig Willis impressed on his 100th Ealing appearance, converting six of his seven attempts.

Smid got the scoring underway as Ealing got out of the blocks with devastating ball speed to score within two minutes.

The number 8 was at the double only five minutes later, this time finding himself on the right wing for a comfortable run-in from outside the 22.

Williams soon made it three tries in twelve minutes for the home side, running the perfect inside line to capitalise on a Richard Hardwick line break.

Caldy continued the early chaos with a try of their own after 15 minutes, as Michael Cartmill darted through the midfield to touch down under the posts.

The bonus points were secured for Ealing within the first quarter, as a rampaging rolling maul left Holmes with acres of space on the opposite wing.

Hardwick was sent to the bin after a string of conceded penalties, and Ealing were instantly punished from the following line-out as Ollie Hearn crossed over at the back of a driving maul.

But Ealing again instantly replied to conceding, with Reuben Bird-Tulloch weaving through the Ravers defence to release Mike Willemse for Trailfinders fifth try of the half. Willis added the extras to make it 33-14 to Ealing at the break.

It only took Ealing six minutes to add to their first-half lead, as Holmes tumbled his way to the tryline for his second of the afternoon.

Walker was next on the scoresheet, bundling over in the corner to score his first league try for Trailfinders, and extending Ealing’s lead to 47-14.

The hooker doubled his try tally in no time, as Trailfinders passed 50 points on the hour mark.

Caldy showed good resistance despite the scoreline, and were rewarded with two tries in the last five minutes to secure their deserved bonus point.

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London Scottish scored in the last phase of the game as Ealing Trailfinders five match win-streak came to an end in a stunning 19-17 defeat.

Welcomed to the pitch by a bagpipe fanfare, there was plenty of excitement to follow at Richmond Athletic Ground in a thrilling contest.

Matas Jurevicius got the scoring underway for London Scottish, after Jonah Holmes had initially made an unbelievable try-saving tackle from a Scottish breakaway.

Ealing settled into the game after a fast start from the home side, with Mike Willemse making it 5-5 in the 18th minute, after Ealing had won a penalty off the first scrum of the afternoon.

With the scrum domination continuing, Trailfinders took the lead ten minutes before half-time, Cian Kelleher finishing off a swift move from right to left to make it 10-5.

The game continued to ebb and flow as half-time neared, with Scottish next to strike through Tom Marshall, taking Scottish into the break 12-10 to the good.

The home side dominated proceedings in the opening minutes of the second half. But with Matt Cornish on for his 100th appearance, Ealing continued to set the tone at the set piece.

They capitalised on another penalty advantage soon after, as Biyi Alo crashed over under the posts to put Ealing ahead for the first time in the match.

Scottish didn’t fade away as the game entered the final minutes, however, and replacement scrum-half Lewis Gjaltema was only denied a breakaway try thanks to the rapid covering work by Tom Collins.

But it was Scottish who had the last say, regaining the lead as Alec Lloyd-Seed slotted his conversion from the left touchline to the delight of the home supporters.

Trailfinders remain at the top of the table after picking up a losing bonus point, with Nottingham five points behind in second.

Ealing Trailfinders continued their unbeaten start to their Championship campaign with a resounding 31-13 victory at home to Coventry.

 

Tries from Tom Collins, Richard Hardwick (2) and Reuben Bird-Tulloch secured all five points in a dominant Trailfinders performance at TFSC.

 

Trailfinders set the tone early on, dominating at the scrum, and they made their early pressure count. Tom Collins opened the scoring, diving over the whitewash in the corner after some swift build up play down the blind side. Craig Willis converted the extra points to give Ealing a 7-0 lead.

 

Coventry answered back almost immediately. Fly half Pat Pelligrini kicked the ball crossfield inside the Trailfinders 22, which looked to be going out. James Martin had other ideas however, racing in behind and tapping the ball down in the nick of time to make the score 7-5.

 

The away side took the lead just before half time, as Pellegrini scored a penalty after sustained pressure in the Trailfinders half, leaving the score 7-8 at the half.

 

The home side began to assert their dominance in the second half, taking back the lead with two quickfire tries. Richard Hardwick scored the first, bundling over the try line after repeated Coventry penalties at the scrum.

 

Reuben Bird-Tulloch then extended the lead after some brilliant play by Biyi Alo, driving over the line in the corner to make the score 21-8. Willis remained perfect from the tee, converting both scores with ease.

 

Willis added to his excellent performance with another three points, after yet another impressive scrum by the home side resulting in a penalty.

 

Ealing capped off a good day at the office with a scintillating try. Richard Hardwick scored again after a bursting run from Cian Kelleher, who was stopped just short of the try line by an excellent tackle. Hardwick was on hand however to finish off the move and make the lead 31-8.

 

Coventry reduced the deficit with a late consolation try from Will Rigg, but it was too little too late. The game finished 31-13, with Trailfinders continuing their strong unbeaten start to the season.

 

Ealing Trailfinders left The Bay as 38-26 victors after a scrappy encounter on a cold and wet Friday in Nottingham.

A brace from Richard Hardwick, along with tries from Mike Willemse, Will Goodrick-Clarke and Max Bodilly, capped off Trailfinders’ fourth win in as many games, continuing their perfect start to the Championship.

They remain at the top of the table and look ahead to next week when they host fellow title contenders Coventry at TFSC.

It was a cagey opening. The slick Midlands pitch dictated that both sides would kick first rather than put the ball through the hands.

The fans who braved the low November temperatures had to wait until the 18th minute for the first points to be scored.

David Williams crossed untouched in the corner after an intricate set play, giving the archers a seven-point lead.

The points deficit would wake up Trailfinders, who had looked sluggish until this point. Willemse crashed over at the back of a maul to level the scores after Craig Willis’ conversion.

Trailfinders quickly scored again in the tight five; this time, Goodrick-Clarke crashed over from close range.

From there, the travelling outfit looked to flex their muscles. Josh Taylor thunderously crashed the ball up in midfield and repeatedly broke the gain line. That go-forward led to Hardwick’s first try of the game, leaving the score 21-7 heading into halftime.

However, that would not be all for the first period, as Williams scored his second straight from the resulting kickoff, leaving the score 21-14 at the break.

The second half started with Hardwick’s second score of the game. Picking and going, he continued the theme of simple but effective tries for Trailfinders.

In contrast, The Archers would prefer to cross the line more flamboyantly. Jonah Holmes was binned for an intentional knock-on, leaving the away side short in the backfield. A clinical chip and chase from a scrum on the halfway line sent Williams under the sticks untouched for his hat-trick.

Yet another pick-and-go from Trailfinders kept Nottingham at arm’s length, and a Willis penalty kick seemed to cap off a fine performance.

Nottingham were not done yet though; Williams finished a classy move by collecting a crosskick, scoring his fourth try of the day.