London Scottish vs Ealing Trailfinders

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.

Trailfinders Women vs Saracens

Saracens Women scored eight tries as they stormed to a convincing 52 – 18 victory away at Trailfinders Women in the Allianz PWR.

Back-to-back bonus point victories for Saracens put them top of the Premiership, while Trailfinders winless in the league, despite another encouraging performance.

Saracens flew out of the blocks in the London derby, with World Rugby Women’s Player of the Year Marlie Packer burst through the Trailfinders defence, before scrum-half Ella Wyrwas sniped over for the first points of the game.

Ellie Green added two penalties of her own in the opening exchanges, but Trailfinders found it difficult to cope with the furious pace with which Saracens started the match.

Packer was again in the thick of the action in the 12th minute, bursting over the Trailfinders gain-line and releasing winger May Campbell for their second try.

Sarries harried Trailfinders at the breakdown throughout the 80 minutes, with Zoe Harrison the next to touch down after a quick counter-attack.

After already being heavily involved in two earlier tries, Packer scored Sarries’ bonus-point try in the 27th minute, breaking off the side of a driving maul to make it 26-6.

A positive note of the first half was the Trailfinders set-piece, with the home side’s pack impressing at scrum-time.

The second-half started in similar vain to the first however, with Saracens adding another two tries in the first eight minutes after the break.

Sophie Bridger glided through the Trailfinders defence to add their fifth try, which was swiftly followed by a Jess Breach wonder try. After gathering the ball in her own 22, she went on a mazy run all the way to the Trailfinders tryline to go 40 – 6 up.

Trailfinders had more attacking threat in the second half, and were rewarded through Abby Dow’s try after a deft Ella Amory chip into the corner.

Saracens replied in almost identical fashion on the hour mark, as Sydney Gregson latched on to a superb cross field kick to extend their lead to 45 – 11.

Dow added her second of the afternoon three minutes later, striding away from Sarries defenders in a 50m race to the line, after a delightful Julia Schell offload.

But Saracens finished the afternoon off in style with their seventh try, Sophie de Goede taking the visiting side past the half-century mark.

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Ealing Trailfinders vs Coventry

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.

 

Trailfinders Women vs Harlequins

Trailfinders Women narrowly lost the opening game of their inaugural Premiership Women’s Rugby campaign, losing 17-22 to Harlequins Women at the TFSC.

Tries from Liz Musgrove and Ella Amory were not enough for Trailfinders, who played with 14 for most of the game following Shannon Ikahihifo’s red card.

It was an impressive performance nevertheless, which kept them within reach throughout and secured an all-important bonus point.

Trailfinders took the lead early on, as Ellie Green kicked a penalty after sustained pressure in the Harlequins half.

Harlequins then answered back with two quick-fire tries. Trailfinders’ lack of discipline became costly, as Izzy Mayhew and Flo Robinson crossed the whitewash for the Quins within minutes of each other.

The game then took an unfortunate turn, as Trailfinders’ flanker Ikahihifo was instantly dismissed from the field for a high tackle.

Trailfinders responded brilliantly to the red card, however. Fresh off a driving maul, the side swiftly moved the ball out to the opposite wing, and Musgrove finished off the great spell of play excellently, diving over the line in the corner.

Green slotted home the conversion with a classy kick, and the sides went into half time 10-12.

14-women Trailfinders started the second half emphatically. Annabel Meta burst through the line midway into the Quins’ half, and two passes later Ella Amory scored under the posts. Green’s conversion gave Trailfinders a 17-12 lead.

Harlequins took back the lead shortly after, as Abbie Fleming bundled the ball over the try-line after successive phases. Laigi Tuima added the extra points.

Tuima further extended Harlequins’ lead from the tee, as Trailfinders were penalised at the breakdown.

Quins’ extra player advantage eventually took its toll on the home side, who were not able to capitalise on some good field position late on in the half. Harlequins held onto possession efficiently as the clock struck 80 minutes, and the game finished 17-22.

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Nottingham vs Ealing Trailfinders

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.

Ealing Trailfinders vs Cambridge

Ealing Trailfinders piled on ten tries as they continued their unbeaten start to the season in a comprehensive 64 – 7 victory over Cambridge in West London.

Will Montgomery, Richard Hardwick and Simon Uzokwe crossed the whitewash twice as Cambridge struggled to cope with the home side’s intensity.

Trailfinders move to the top of the Championship, with all of their tries incredibly being scored by forwards.

It didn’t take long for the Trailfinders to get into their groove – Andrew Davidson starting the scoring with a punishing run after some quick Trailfinders hands.

Rayn Smid extended the lead after 14 minutes, finishing a neat move down the right-hand side after Tom Collins came off his wing with devastating pace to break the Cambridge defensive line.

It didn’t take long for Trailfinders to add their third of the afternoon, player-of-the-match Lloyd Williams releasing Will Montgomery, who crashed over to put the home side 17 – 0 up.

Richard Hardwick came off the bench in the fifth minute and showcased his international quality, latching on to a Billy Twelvetrees offload to make it 24 – 0 after 25 minutes.

Trailfinders forwards dominance continued in fine style, Matt Cornish profiting off the back of a rampaging driving maul to extend the lead to 31-0 at half-time.

Cambridge played their best rugby at the end of the first half and started the second the brighter of the two sides. Trailfinders conceded another three quick penalties, with Eli Caven latching on to a deft Jamie Benson chip for their first points of the afternoon.

Poor discipline by Trailfinders allowed Cambridge to camp themselves in the home side’s 22 for a sustained period of pressure, only for Max Bodilly to deny a second try in spectacular fashion.

Only minutes later, Caven thought he had his second, only to be penalised by the referee due to a double movement as he crossed the try line.

Simon Uzokwe instantly made his presence felt off the bench on the hour mark, reinstating Trailfinders dominance with two tries in less than five minutes to put the Trailfinders in a commanding 43 – 7 lead.

Trailfinders’ very own ‘bomb squad’ continued their forward dominance – Mike Willemse capitalising on another crunching driving maul as Trailfinders reached the half-century mark.

Second tries for Hardwick and Montgomery capped off an authoritative afternoon for Trailfinders, with Craig Willis adding his seventh conversion to complete a 64 – 7 rout.

Loughborough Lightning vs Trailfinders Women

Trailfinders Women ended the first stage of the Allianz Cup with a 31-12 defeat at the hands of the Loughborough Lightning.

A brace from Ellen Scantlebury, along with tries from Abby Duguid, Bo Westcombe-Evans and Lucia Linn, gave the home side the victory. The try scorers were Rowena Burnfield and Rosie Inman.

Trailfinders now look forward to the Allianz PWR and their first game against Harlequins on the 18th of November.

The first half was a tense affair, but it did not start that way.

Straight from the kick-off, the Lightning won the ball back and almost instantly scored through lock Duguid.

After the setback, Trailfinders found their footing in the match, and from then on, it would be a bit-part occasion.

The ball rarely stayed off the floor for sustained periods, and the half became characterised by the set pieces.

Loughborough struggled to win their own ball off the lineout, and the away side were able to win the territory battle as a result of the home side’s inaccuracy.

This would eventually lead to their first score of the game. Burnfield charged down an Amalia Green kick in unison with Shya Pinnock, regathering to dot down with ease.

That would lead to the end of the first half, after which the Lightning would run away with it.

Trailfinders suffered injury after injury, and the substitutes bench could not deal with the sheer number of players needing treatment.

The effect on the squad would leave players out of position, resulting in a number of Lightning tries. Scantlebury went over in the corner twice in quick succession to take the game away, and Westcombe-Evans and Linn would finish off the job.

The time was not up, however, and Trailfinders carried on pushing forward. Liz Crake broke the line and produced a stunning out-the-back offload to Ella Amory, who fed Inman in at the corner.

That consolation score would bring us to full-time and leave Trailfinders Women looking forward to The Takeoff on the 18th of November.

 

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Hartpury RFC vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders beat Hartpury University RFC 36-28 at the ALPAS Arena to continue their perfect start to the Championship campaign.

 

Tries from Rayn Smid (2), Billy Twelvetrees, Jonah Holmes, Olly Newman and Matt Cornish secured the victory in a tightly contested game.

 

Hartpury opened the scoring early on, Harry Bazalgette slotting the penalty through the posts to give the home side the lead.

 

Trailfinders responded quickly, with Rayn Smid scoring the first try of the game, powering over the tryline after successive phases.

 

Within minutes Trailfinders scored again. A brilliant kick through from Reuben Bird-Tulloch found Billy Twelvetrees, who dived on the ball under the posts. Craig Willis added the extras to make the score 12-3.

 

Hartpury reduced the deficit midway through the half. Bazalgette added a further six points from the tee following repeated Trailfinders penalties. It could have been nine, had his third penalty kick in 10 minutes been on target.

 

The home side took the lead with eight minutes to go of the first half, Harry Short scoring off the back of the maul after yet another penalty. Bazalgette’s conversion was successful.

 

In the last play of the half, Trailfinders capitalised off a dominant scrum on the 5-metre-line, and Rayn Smid drove in to score his second try of the day. Willis nailed the conversion, ending the half 19-16.

 

Trailfinders extended their lead 10 minutes into the second half. Reuben Bird-Tulloch ran sideways, creating a two on one on the wing, and then passed it to Jonah Holmes, who scored with a classy finish. Willis was unable to convert.

 

The away side were reduced to 14 men after Willis was sent to the bin, but this did not hamper their efforts. Matt Cornish broke down the blind side, combining with Ollie Newman who crashed over the whitewash. Twelvetrees missed the conversion.

 

Hartpury hit back with a flowing move, leaving Tommy Matthews uncontested to score under the posts. Bazalgette added to his impressive tally with the boot, converting the extras to make the score 29-23.

 

The half continued in back-and-forth fashion. Trailfinders’ Matt Cornish bundled the ball over the try-line after successive phases inside the Hartpury 22. Willis slotted home the conversion.

 

Hartpury then replied again late on in the half, Tommy Matthews with his second try of the day straight from the restart, scoring under the posts in similar fashion to his first. Bazalgette missed the conversion.

 

It was too little, too late for Hartpury. Hartpury knocked on the ball, and the ref blew his whistle for full time. Final score Hartpury RFC 28- 36 Ealing Trailfinders.

Trailfinders Women vs Saracens

Trailfinders Women fell to a 45-10 Allianz Cup defeat as Saracens Women piled on seven tries in a dominant display.

A frantic period of play followed a cagey first 10 minutes, with Saracens bundling over the try-line after some gritty Trailfinders defence to lead 5-0.

Jessica Cooksey instantly replied for Trailfinders after a sustained period of pressure from the home side, with a rampaging run and dummy equalling the scores.

Saracens lock Emma Taylor powered over the whitewash less than five minutes after, with a quick tap-and-go from 5m out.

A nice passage of play from Trailfinders backs almost resulted in another instant reply, with Courtney Pursglove’s foot just in touch down the right-hand side after a fluid move.

But it was Liz Crake who capitalised on the following overshot lineout to equal the scores again at 10-10.

Saracens finished the half on a high – Sydney Gregson first of all carving through the Trailfinders defence with a punishing line to restore Sarries’ advantage.

A length-of-the field attack from the following kick-off led to Chloe Flanagan racing through from 20m out to finish under the posts – the visitors heading into the break 24-10 up.

Heavy rain had a big role to play in the second half, with both teams struggling with the wet ball in hand and Sarries dominating at the scrum.

Saracens scored their first points of the second-half on the hour mark, with Mica Gooding touching down at the back of a marauding 30m driving maul.

The visitors added their sixth-try five minutes later – another powerful surge from close range extending their lead to 38-10.

As the final whistle neared, Sarries completed a comprehensive victory with May Campbell touching down and Jemma-Jo Linkins adding the extras.

A disappointing defeat for Trailfinders, but many positives to take after fielding a side with 12 players under the age of 22, and Liz Crake taking home the Arnold Hill Player of the March award.

The result leaves Saracens second in the table, with Trailfinders heading to Loughborough next weekend in the search for their first victory.

Bedford Blues vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders beat Bedford Blues 41-21, opening their Championship campaign in fine fashion.

A brace from Cian Kelleher and scores from Reuben Bird Tulloch, Will Montgomery, Barney Maddison and Max Bodilly secured all 5 points for the away side.

This sets them up very well as they head int round two of the Championship season away to Hartpury.

The Blues opened the scoring in the fourth minute. Sean French received a sumptuous cross-field kick from fly-half Will Maisey to put the home side ahead. Maisey converted the extra points.

Bedford’s ill-discipline early on in the first quarter led to both Jordan Onojaife and captain Alex Day being sent to the sin bin in consecutive minutes.

Trailfinders quickly capitalised on their extra men as Cian Kelleher scored uncontested on the wing following a 5m scrum. Craig Willis’ conversion unluckily bounced off the post, and the home team kept the lead.

This was short-lived, however, as ex-Bedford Blue Reuben Bird-Tulloch crossed the whitewash after breaking through the line. Willis’s conversion was good, and Trailfinders took a 12-7 lead.

A scintillating 25-metre breakaway from Will Montgomery pushed Trailfinders down the pitch.

Bedford’s discipline did not improve, as they conceded a penalty after the carry, and Oisin Heffernan received their third yellow card of the half.

Trailfinders again took advantage of the extra numbers, as Cian Kelleher scored his second try of the day in the corner. Willis converted the extra points with a brilliant kick from the corner.

It was the 14-man Blues who scored the last try of the half. Kieran Curran took advantage of a gap in the Trailfinders defence to score from 20 metres. The conversion was successful, and the teams went into the half 14-19.

The second half got off to a slow start as both sides struggled to get going. In the 54th minute, Trailfinders benefitted from yet another penalty, and from the resulting maul, Will Montgomery bundled the ball over the line. Willis slotted home the conversion, extending Trailfinders’ lead to 12 points.

Bedford answered back.

This time, Trailfinders conceded a penalty on the halfway line. After the resulting lineout, Bedford put together a flowing move, and Ethan Grayson stretched out to place the ball over the line. Maisey’s added the extra points to leave the score 21-26.

It was a tense last 10 minutes. A penalty resulting from a scrum in the Bedford half allowed Trailfinders to extend the lead by three points.

Bedford’s poor discipline continued, and a penalty allowed Trailfinders inside the Blues 22. After multiple successive phases, Captain Barney Maddison all but secured the win, scoring their fifth try of the game.

Trailfinders were not done. As the clock hit 80 minutes, Josh Taylor made a brilliant 50-metre break through the Blues’ defence.

He was brought down just short of the line, but two passes later, Max Bodilly scored in the corner to end the game.

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