Ealing Trailfinders vs Doncaster Knights

Ealing Trailfinders face their first defeat of this year’s Championship season in a one-point loss to Doncaster Knights at home.

 

Tries from Rayn Smid, Jordan Holgate, Francis Moore and Matt Cornish, as well as 15 points from the boot of Dan Jones, just weren’t enough to clinch the win.

 

It was a breathless start to the game, with both sides getting tries on the board within the opening five minutes. 

 

The visitors struck first as back-row Rhys Tait broke through a weak tackle and dove over for the opening score. 

 

Trailfinders responded immediately through a try of their own courtesy of captain Rayn Smid.

 

Doncaster were clearly keen to build a score, taking the opportunity to take the three points with Alex Dolly slotting the after winning a scrum penalty and again a few minutes later.

 

It was a tale of ill-discipline for both sides in the first half for both sides as Doncaster allowed Trailfinders multiple entries into the 22, the first of which led to an easy walk in for Jordan Holgate.

 

It was a try fest as Doncaster responded immediately through fullback Jordan Olowofela, who made a clean break and got his first.

 

Trailfinders earned a scrum penalty on the halfway line, and instead of kicking deep, Jones caught the Doncaster defence unaware with the quick tap, opening up space for Francis Moore to score.

 

After another three points from Dolly, Trailfinders got another try from a Matt Cornish classic off the back of a rolling maul.

 

As if that wasn’t enough for one half of rugby Olowofela scored just before the half-time whistle from a kick in behind to take his side two points up at the break.

 

Half-Time- Ealing Trailfinders 26-28 Doncaster Knights

 

After the seven tries of the opening 40, both sides came out for the second period with a much more conservative game plan.

 

Dan Jones and Dolly traded penalty kicks to keep edging the scoreboard in their side’s favour until Olowofela made another clean break to score his third and complete the hat-trick.

 

Just a point behind and ten minutes left on the clock, Trailfinders threw everything at it, with possession right on the try line in the final play.

 

However, a heartbreaking knock-on meant Tom Foley blew his whistle, and Trailfinders fell short by one point and concede our first loss of the season.

 

Full-Time- Ealing Trailfinders 35-36 Doncaster Knights

 

Ealing Trailfinders:

Tries- Smid 3, Holgate 20, Moore 27, Cornish 38

Penalties- Jones 43, 61, 66

Conversions- Jones 4, 21, 28

 

Doncaster Knights:

Tries- Tait 2, Olowofela 22, 40, 71

Penalties- Dolly 8, 14, 58

Conversions- Dolly 3, 23, 35

Saracens v Trailfinders Women

Trailfinders fell to a 38-29 defeat at the hands of Saracens at The StoneX in Round 1 of Premiership Women’s Rugby.

A hat trick from Vicky Laflin, an Ellie Boatman Try, and an Emma Taylor penalty goal was not enough to get Trailfinders their first win over Saracens.

The visitors take one point from a possible five away from North London and will host Loughborough Lightning at TFSC in Round 2, live on TNT Sports.

Trailfinders started the new PWR rugby campaign perfectly, as their first score came inside 3 minutes.

Playing the ball out the back of a midfield scrum, they broke down the right wing, and Laflin dove over in the corner to cross the whitewash.

However, Saracens answered back quickly. May Campbell scored from a pick-and-go to level the scores inside the first 10.

The hosts continued to set the tone physically, and although the phase play was scrappy, they scored through Chantelle Miell.

The visitors then had the first sustained block of possession in the contest, with the majority of the phases in the host’s half.

After knocking on the door and being held up over the line, Trailfinders finally broke down the Saracens dam.

Emma Uren found space on the right edge and perfectly drew the last defender in, giving Laflin the walk-in for her second.

There was more scrappy play towards the end of the first half as both teams knocked on with strange regularity in the warm October conditions.

That is until Saracens managed to stitch some phases together, and gave Akina Gondwe the chance to crash over from short range.

Half Time: Saracens 19-12 Trailfinders

The second half started much the same as the first. Trailfinders piled on the pressure going forward, most of their joy coming from the wide channels.

Taylor’s right boot added the first points of the second term from just over 30m out, and the visitors closed the gap.

The pendulum then swung back Saracens’ way, however. Poppy Cleall crashed over in a similar fashion to the clinical style that all Sarries teams operate with.

Conversely, Trailfinders tend to have more of a desire to play with the ball in hand. Their next score was no different.

Some beautiful phase play found space on the right, and Laflin, Rosie Inman and Boatman combined to feed the GB7s flyer over the line.

Saracens then scored again through Bryony Field, and with the clock against them, it looked like that was it for Trailfinders at the StoneX.

The visitors took no notice of that, though, and from their try-line, played the ball wide to the left wing, and Grace White broke. The winger produced an elegant run past three Saracens and only had the line to chase down, but was caught by Isla Alejandro. White popped the ball up, and Vicky Laflin walked in for what is undoubtedly an early contender for Try of the Season.

With the conversion from Taylor, Trailfinders were back within three and looking for a famous victory.

However, the result didn’t come, and Sarries had the last laugh as Sarah McKenna sealed their victory at home.

The defeat at The StoneX leaves Trailfinders with a point, looking to impress live on TNT Sports next Sunday against Loughborough Lightning.

Full Time: Saracens 38-29 Trailfinders Women

Tries:

Trailfinders:

Laflin (3, 18, 73), Boatman (61)

Saracens:

Campbell (6), Miell (11), Gondwe (34), Cleall (54), Field (68), McKenna (79)

Conversions:

Trailfinders:

Taylor (3, 61, 74)

Saracens:

MacDougall (7, 35, 53, 80)

Penalties:

Trailfinders:

Taylor (47)

Cornish Pirates vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders left it late to win 24-29 under the lights against Cornish Pirates in Round Two of the Championship.

Tries from Tom Collins, Matt Cornish, Tobi Wilson and Rob Farrar meant Trailfinders secured a bonus point victory in Penzance.

The Londoners sit at the top of the table after Friday evening’s result, collecting ten points from a possible ten so far this campaign.

As the sides ran out from the changing rooms, there was a great atmosphere around The Mennaye Field, with last season’s top two set to go head-to-head.

Unsurprisingly, it was a cagey opening 15 minutes with both sides looking for field position early on. It was Will Trewin who looked most likely to score just after this period; the Cornish Pirates fullback thought he was in, but Angus Kernohan, helped by Rayn Smid, forced Trewin into touch.

Bruce Houston finally broke the deadlock for the hosts with a well-struck three-pointer before Dan Jones cancelled it out with three of his own at the other end.

With just five minutes to go before the break, Trailfinders finally started to build some pressure. A penalty at scrum time gave Jones the opportunity to kick to the corner. The ball was spread wide, and a looping pass over to the left wing meant Tom Collins could go over untouched.

However, Cornish Pirates weren’t ready for the half-time whistle just yet. They levelled the scores with their first try of the match. Arthur Relton broke away down the centre of the field, Trailfinders covered well initially, but it wasn’t enough as Robin Wedlake scored on the left wing.

Half-time- Cornish Pirates 10-10 Ealing Trailfinders

The visitors came firing out of the blocks in the second forty. Last season’s top try scorer, Matt Cornish, scored his first of the 2024-25 campaign, burrowing his way over from five meters out just minutes after the break.

Moments later, Cornish Pirates put a teasing kick over the top, which left Craig Hampson chasing back into the deadball area. He could only get his fingertips to the bouncing ball, and the referee deemed it was deliberately knocked out of play. He awarded a penalty try and sent Hampson for ten minutes on the touchline.

Down to 14 men, and with the scores now level, Trailfinders knew they needed to raise their game, and they did just that. Collins was doing a good job temporarily filling in at scrum-half, he managed to find Jones, who put Tobi Wilson through a hole to restore the West-Londoners lead to seven points.

As we headed into the final ten minutes, it was a sustained period of pressure for Cornish Pirates. With the crowd behind them, they found a way through. Iwan Price-Thomas slid across the whitewash, and Iwan Jenkins tied the scores from the boot, which made it 24 apiece.

It was a tense final few minutes at The Mennaye. Cornish Pirates cleared the ball upfield from a box-kick, and Collins superbly kept it in play. Trailfiinders moved the ball from one touchline back to the other, which opened up space on the right-hand side. Collins beat his man for pace and found Rob Farrar out on the wing; he ran in from the 22, bumped off the covering defence, and dived over in the corner.

The stands fell silent other than an eruption of noise from the visitors’ bench. With the clock in red, Farrar had scored the match-winning and bonus point try. Trailfinders take all five points back to West London.

 Full-time- Cornish Pirates 24-29 Ealing Trailfinders

 

Cornish Pirates:

Tries- Wedlake 40, Penalty Try 47, Price-Thomas 75

Conversions- Houston 40, Jenkins 76

Penalties- Houston 17

Ealing Trailfinders:

Tries- Collins 32, Cornish 44, Wilson 52, Farrar 80

Conversions- Jones 33, 45, 53

Penalties- Jones 25

Yellow Cards- Hampson 47, Kernohan 55

 

Ealing Trailfinders vs Hartpury RFC

Ealing Trailfinders open their 24/25 Championship campaign with a comfortable victory over Hartpury RFC, cementing their position as the team to beat in the league.

There were tries across the board, with a double from Jordy Reid, as well as tries from; Lloyd Williams, Jordan Holgate, Josh Taylor, Reuben Bird-Tulloch, Francis Moore on debut, Craig Hampson and Tobi Wilson.

Trailfinders started the game as well as they could have hoped with two early tries. The first came from back-row Jordy Reid, who spotted the gap and went for the pick and go and offloaded to a trailing Lloyd Williams, who was able to finish it easily for Trailfinders’ first try this Championship season.

It was followed shortly after as Reid was involved once again, this time going over for the try himself in the corner in a busy opening period.

It was the perfect start for last year’s champions. An excellent kick to touch from Dan Jones put Hartpury back under pressure, and after a quick tap, Trailfinders followed it up with their third try before the twenty-minute mark as Jordan Holgate went over out wide.

Eventually, the visitors got on the board as Trailfinders were penalised off the restart, and Hartpury had field position. They capitalised from a cross-field kick fielded and finished by Jack Johnson.

They followed it up with another one with a sneaky trick play from a lineout as the scrum-half Mike Austin darted down the short side, catching Trailfinders defence unaware and went over for the visitor’s second.

However, Trailfinders were determined to stay in the lead, and their next score was a thing of beauty. Number eight Josh Taylor rumbled over the top of the Hartpury winger and ran the ball in for an outrageous solo score.

The visitors got one more try before the break. A Trailfinders lineout on the Hartpury five-metre line went array, allowing Hartpury to break up the field with a kick ahead and one final offload meant it was finished off by Robbie Smith.

Half-Time- Ealing Trailfinders 26-21 Hartpury RFC

It was a slow start to the second half, with the game for the taking. However, that was until the visitor’s openside flanker, Harry Short, was shown yellow for collapsing the maul. The floodgates opened following that, with Rueben Bird-Tulloch getting a try quickly after, hitting a hard line and cutting through the defence to dot the ball down.

Following that score, Trailfinders launched into full attacking flow. Francis Moore got a try on debut  finishing off a scintillating try with some outrageous offloads.

That was followed by the Trailfinders pack backing up their backs flair with some scrum dominance, demolishing the Hartputy forwards.

Replacement Craig Hampson let loose finishing off a try after the backs broke away downfield

Fullback Tobi Wilson got in on the scoring action at the back of the maul, dropping down over the line in an unusual fashion for the back after the entire side joined.

Lastly, Reid got his second to finish the game off and put Hartpury to be after crashing over from close range, finishing off a statement win.

It was the perfect start to the season for Ealing Trailfinders, who will now look ahead to Cornish Pirates away next Friday night.

Full-Time- Ealing Trailfinders 58-21 Hartpury RFC

Ealing Trailfinders:

Tries- Williams 5, Reid 11, 78; Holgate 17, Taylor 35, Bird-Tulloch 53, Moore 60, Hampson 66, Wilson 73

Conversions- Jones 6, 12, 36, 54; Willis 80

Hartpury RFC:

Tries- Johnson 23, Austin 31, Smith 39

Conversions- Bazalgette 24, 32, 40

Yellow Cards- Short 52, Hayler 77

Click here for all club news.

Saracens vs Trailfinders Women

Trailfinders Women were defeated 33-20 by Saracens despite a positive first-half performance at the StoneX.

Tries from Rosie Inman, Abi Burton and Jess Cooksey were not enough to secure the victory against Trailfinders’ London rivals.

The loss marks the end of the PWR Up Series, leading into the start of PWR, again away at Saracens on October 5th.

Trailfinders started the game by far the brighter side, looking pumped up for the physicality they expected Saracens to bring.

However, that physicality was not forthcoming early on and Trailfinders scored first from the boot of Emma Taylor, who knocked a penalty over from short range after the hosts were pinged at the breakdown.

The Canadian’s penalty seemingly kicked Sarries into gear who went up the other end in less than 2 minutes when Isla Alejandro went in the corner.

The frantic first ten continued. Trailfinders won the ball back from the kick-off and Ella Amory identified the space on the right, hitting a lovely dabbed cross-field kick into the hands of Vicky Laflin who found Inman on her inside shoulder to score.

Trailfinders’ were then well on top. Saracens were penalised for offside and Emory kicked the visitors 10m from the in-goal and, after the maul was sacked, Burton crashed through the Saracens defences to put Trailfinders two scores up.

The scoring then slowed as no side would be able to keep up the pace that the fixture was being played at in the first 15 minutes.

Fans at The StoneX had to wait until the 35th for any more scoreboard action. Trailfinders gave away consecutive penalties and from a 5m line out May Campbell was dragged over by the Saracens driving maul.

Halftime: Saracens 12-15 Trailfinders

Despite an incredibly positive first-half against the PWR’s most-successful team, Trailfinders struggled at the start of the second term.

Two tries were scored in quick succession for the hosts by Bryony Field and Poppy Cleall, and Trailfinders started to ring the changes looking to spread the experience in pre-season across the squad.

Trailfinders struggled for forward momentum and errors got in the way of many of their attacking efforts.

Then Bryony Cleall sealed the result for the hosts finishing an end-to-end move that took Saracens out of sight.

However, consolation came through Cooksey who dotted down in the corner after Sarah Denholm found her with a lovely floated ball to the right edge.

The result at Saracens marks the end of pre-season with Trailfinders making the trip to The StoneX in round one of the PWR.

Full-Time: Saracens 33-20 Trailfinders

Try Scorers:

Trailfinders: Inman (7), Burton (13), Cooksey (79)

Saracens: Alejandro (4), Campbell (37), Field (44), P.Cleall (52), B.Cleall (73)

Conversions:

Trailfinders: Taylor (8)

Saracens: MacDougall (38) (45), Linkins (53), Williams (73)

Penalties:

Trailfinders: Taylor (2)

Ealing Trailfinders vs Hartpury RFC

Ealing Trailfinders secured their third pre-season victory in a row with a blistering second-half performance under the Friday Night Lights at Trailfinders Sports Club to beat Hartpury 62-19.

Despite trailing for extended periods in the first half, tries from Reuben Bird-Tulloch, Ehize Ehizode, Ollie Newman, Tom Collins, Geordie Gwynn, Geroge Shaw and doubles from both Craig Hampson and Cam Terry led Trailfinders to a comfortable victory.

The visitors started well with a strong line break from centre Robbie Smith, taking his side into the danger zone. After a few quick phases, the try was finished off by Mike Austin, earning them a very early lead.

With their foot on the gas and fly-half Harry Bazalgate controlling the flow of play nicely, Hartpury looked extremely dangerous in the early excursions, bringing a high tempo to the game with the ball in hand. 

However, that tempo was quickly stifled after a flying solo try from Bird-Tulloch, who, after an outrageous offload from Jordy Reid, was able to blitz past multiple defenders and bring Trailfinders level.

The visitors quickly responded, scoring another try within a matter of minutes, with Austin poaching another one from short range.

Ealing Trailfinders were struggling to find any consistency, making too many mistakes and giving up possession back to the visitors who continued to knock at the door.

They converted their pressure with another try from a driving maul try with captain Will Crane, the beneficiary.

Trailfinders were running the risk of letting the game slip away; however, with a penalty advantage behind them, Hampson darted over to close the gap on the scoreboard. 

Just short of half-time, Trailfinders started to look to be the team we have seen all preseason as a quick ball from the lineout provided the momentum over the gain line and, after a move down the blindside, they scored another try courtesy of hooker Terry. 

Half-Time- Ealing Trailfinders 17-19 Hartpury RFC

Trailfinders came out of the sheds firing; Hartpury knocked on the ball at the restart, allowing the hosts to launch an early attacking set in the danger zone, and it was Terry once again who went over the line, taking them into the lead for the first time in the game.

The boys in green and white were on fire, finally finding their flow in attack with a beautiful line cut by Matas Jurevicus finding space and a wonderful offload to Hampson on a typical trailing line allowed him to dot down under the posts.

It was followed by yet another absolute scorcher of a try, with Ehizode making it look easy, cutting a brilliant line and going over for a try himself.

The hosts were making it look easy by securing yet another seven-pointer. It was all down to the work of the forwards, who earned a scrum penalty leading to a dominant driving maul, which demolished the Hartpury pack, and Newman went over at the tail.

The maul was proving a useful weapon, and Trailfinders struck again, setting the platform until Micheal Stronge darted down the blindside and delivered the ball to Collins on a plate to finish in the corner.

Stronge had come on the pitch determined to make an impact under the Friday night lights; he made a break from Trailfinders’ own five-metre line, darting up the pitch from coast to coast and opening up space everywhere he went. Eventually, he released Gwynn to finish the try in the far corner.

Just to put the finishing touches on a complete performance, Shaw got one more on the board to finish the game.

Trailfinders finish their preseason campaign with three victories and will look to take that momentum into the upcoming Championship season, that starts with Hartpury at home again.

Full-Time- Ealing Trailfinders 62-19 Hartpury RFC

Ealing Trailfinders:

Tries- Bird-Tulloch 15, Hampson 32, 48 Terry 38, 41, Ehizode 50, Newman 54, Collins 64, Gwynn 70, Shaw 79

Conversions- Worboys 33, Jones 42, 49, 51, 55, 80

Hartpury RFC:

Tries- Austin 2, 17; Crane 27

Conversions- Bazalgate 17, 27

Click here for all club news.

Trailfinders Women vs Harlequins Women

Trailfinders Women kicked off the 2024/25 season in fine fashion, beating Harlequins Women 40-33 at TFSC.

Tries from Cristina Blanco, Grace White, Sara Seye, Emma Taylor, Kat Evans and Liz Musgrove sealed the victory for Trailfinders over their London rivals.

The win is the first of the two-game PWR Up series, which will take Trailfinders to The StoneX to face Saracens on September 21st.

The visitors started the brighter of the two sides. Harlequins had almost all of the ball in the first 10 minutes but could not convert the pressure into points.

That is until Maja Meuller crashed over the line, taxi’d in by the Quins rolling maul.

The score sparked the hosts into life. Vicky Laflin broke down the left wing, and after being brought down, the visitors infringed at the breakdown, meaning Ella Amory could kick the hosts into the opposition’s 22.

From the lineout, Blanco scored Trailfinders’ first try of the season, levelling the scores with Taylor’s conversion.

The hosts then struck again quickly after. Again a rolling maul, but featuring unusual personnel, as Grace White took the ball and dove over from short range.

The ding-dong battle continued with Quins answering right back through Freya Aucken, who sniped round the ruck to score on her debut for the West London club.

Harlequins kept pushing and took the lead back through Izzy Hannay, who latched onto a Clàudia Peña offload.

However, heading into the half-time break, Trailfinders took back the momentum, making several line breaks but failing to convert, until some composed pick and gos gave Seye the opportunity to crash over the line.

Half-time: Trailfinders 21-19 Harlequins

Despite ending the first well, Trailfinders started the second slowly as Peña scored after breaking through on a short line.

The visitors continued pushing and widened their lead to 12 points as Nicola Haynes scored from the back of another Quins rolling maul.

Following the theme of the game, Trailfinders answered right back just three minutes later as Taylor scored on her debut by latching onto a Brooke Bradley rifled pass from the base.

Then Evans brought the score level at 33 each. The Welsh hooker crashed over after peeling off a maul to score on debut.

Musgrove then sealed it with eight minutes to play. The Scottish flyer broke down the left wing and turned on the burners, streaking away from the chasing Quins defence.

Full Time: Trailfinders 40-33 Harlequins

Trailfinders Women:

Tries – Cristina Blanco 17, Grace White 23, Sara Seye 39, Emma Taylor 59, Kat Evans 68, Liz Musgrove 72

Conversions – Taylor 17, 23, 39, 68, 72

Harlequins Women:

Tries – Maja Meuller 12, Freya Aucken 30, Izzy Hannay 34, Clàudia Peña 44, Nicola Haynes 56

Conversions – Ella Cromack 12, 30, 44, 56

Bath Rugby vs Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders emerge victorious at The Rec in a second pre-season victory on the bounce.

Tries from Tobi Wilson, captain Lloyd Williams, Simon Uzokwe, David Douglas-Bridge and Ollie Newman helped earn the Trailfinders a famous win against the Premiership side.

Bath started the stronger of the two sides, and a penalty kick to the corner resulted in a powerful driving lineout from the hosts. Trailfinders repelled it well, and a knock-on turned possession back over.

However, after conceding another penalty shortly after, Bath came back downfield and got over the whitewash from number eight Jaco Coetzee.

The play turned slightly scrappy, with both sides fighting for possession; however, neither got an extended period of momentum with the ball in hand.

That was until the try scorer, Coetzee, managed to break through multiple tacklers and bring his side close. The fast speed of the ball allowed Tom de Glanville to finish with ease.

With two tries on the board for the hosts early on, a kicking battle ensued, with Trailfinders attempting to find some territory.

After earning a penalty, Trailfinders entered the red zone for the first time in the game. They kept calm under pressure, and eventually, Wilson dove over for the try.

A good touch finder from Orlando Bailey put Trailfinders back under pressure in their own half; however, they cleared well and earned a penalty as the Bath player rolled on the floor. 

Dan Jones pumped the ball back downfield for another opportunity. Trailfinders profited as captain Williams sniped down the blindside and ran the ball in for their second score.

With just a minute left on the clock for the first half and a penalty awarded to Trailfinders, Jones opted to go for the posts and entered the sheds with a one-point lead.

Half-Time- Bath 14-15 Ealing Trailfinders

The second half got back underway, and Bath were awarded an early penalty for Trailfinders holding onto the ball on the floor.

Bailey only kicked it as far as the 22-metre line, but a robust initial carry for Joe Cockanasiga got Bath onto the front foot and, eventually, Coetzee went over again.

However, poor discipline from Bath gave Trailfinders another opportunity, and a trick play at the lineout got them close, and another penalty was awarded. This time, they capitalised, and Uzokwe crashed over for the try.

Terry then won a brilliant turnover penalty, which allowed Trailfinders to enter dangerous territory. Willis pulled the strings, and they got close to the line until Bath conceded another penalty. 

Trailfinders looked to have lost it forward, but it came back for yet another advantage. Eventually, they went over from Douglas-Bridge and extended their lead to eight points.

Trailfinders were clearly in charge of the game, and they were happy to allow Bath possession of the ball with some great defensive shots.

With a scrum penalty inside Bath’s 22, Trailfinders rolled the dice and went for the corner rather than take the three points. It proved unsuccessful as Bath won back possession but showed clear intent from the men in green and white. 

Cockansiga was sent to the bin for the game’s final minutes for a deliberate knock-on inside their own 22’, which proved costly as Trailfinders scored again through Newman.

Bath tried to fight back and were on the hunt, as they worked back down into Trailfinders’ danger zone.

However, even though they got the try from Kepu Tuipulotu, time was up on the clock, and Trailfinders had earned a famous win against the Premiership finalists.

Full-time- Bath 28-36 Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders:

Tries- Wilson 25, Williams 32, Uzokwe 49, Bridge 60, Terry 73

Conversions- Jones 33, Willis 50, 61, 74

Penalties Jones 40

Bath:

Tries- Coetzee 8, 42, De Glanville 15,

Conversions- Bailey 9, 16, 43, 81

Yellow Card- Cockansiga 72

Ealing Trailfinders vs Cardiff Rugby

Ealing Trailfinders begin their 2024/25 season with a stylish preseason 45-31 victory over Cardiff Rugby at Trailfinders Sports Club.

A hat-trick from Mike Willemse along with tries from Michael Dykes, Matt Cornish, Francis Moore and George Worboys led the West Londoners to a statement win over a top-flight side.

After a long three month period off, Ealing Trailfinders came right out of the blocks firing with a set piece move off a lineout. Angus Kernohan looked to be in at the corner, but the referee pulled the play back for a forward pass; however, it was a promising start for the Trailfinders.

It was a cagey opening ten following the early Trailfinders opportunity. However, the Welsh side were the first to chart an actual score with some well-worked handling out wide, allowing Gabriel Hamer-Webb to dive in at the corner.

Trailfinders responded positively shortly after. A Cardiff mistake on the restart allowed the hosts in the danger zone, and a quick tap from Stronge allowed Dykes to dot the ball down in the corner, with Craig Willis adding the extras.

The visitors hit back with a flashy try of their own with a chip-and-chase finish from early replacement Steffan Emanuel.

The tries kept coming at Trailfinders levelled the score with Cornish burrowing his way to the line after Trailfinders sliced through the Cardiff line from the lineout.

The Cardiff pack showed their strength for the next score with a driving maul, putting Ealing Trailfinders on the back foot on their own try line, and eventually, scrum-half Johan Mulder sniped around the fringe for the try.

Half-Time – Ealing Trailfinders 12-17 Cardiff Rugby

The second period got underway, and the visitors struck almost immediately after some loose play allowed them to play into a broken field, and centre Harri Millard went over for the try.

Trailfinders found themselves two scores behind and needed to produce something to stay in the game. Eventually, it was replacement Willemse who broke away from the driving maul and found his way over the line.

The Welsh side were fortunate for their next try. Worboys almost made an interception; however, the ball went forward, allowing Cardiff to enter a broken field and execute the two-on-one, and Hamer-Webb went in for his second.

Whilst the game was tries galore, Trailfinders made a special defensive effort to deny another Cardiff score, with Rayn Smid earning a vital turnover on the five-metre line.

They marched themselves back down the pitch, and after some heavy-duty work from the pack, Willemse went over at the tail for another try.

Ealing Trailfinders built some momentum following that try. Only a score behind, they were determined to put on a performance for the home crowd. With the penalty advantage, Moore hit a hard line and put Trailfinders into the lead.

The game was fully with Trailfinders; a kick-and-chase downfield earned them a penalty and another entry into the Cardiff 22’. With the driving maul, Willemse powered over at the tail for his hat trick!

Ealing Trailfinders had entered a state of flow and finished the game in beautiful style with a flick pass out the back for Worboys to finish off the try in the corner and earn the win.

Full-Time – Ealing Trailfinders 45-31 Cardiff Rugby

Ealing Trailfinders:

Tries – Dykes 15, Cornish 29, Willemse 50, 66, 76 Moore 71, Worboys 79

Conversions – Willis 16, 51, Worboys, 66, 72, 80

Cardiff Rugby:

Tries – Hamer Webb 12, 56, Emanuel 25, Mulder 31, Millard 41

Conversions – Thomas 26, 42, 57

Women’s Squad

Our Sponsors

Mizuno Logo
Lords Building Merchants Logo
David Lloyd Health Club Logo
Brunel University Logo
Sponsor Logos - _0019_Arnold Hill Logo
Sponsor Logos - _0011_Healthshare Logo
Grilleville
The Turmeric Co Logo
Ikon-Dental-Logo-Player-Sponsors
Sponsor Logos - _0006_Physique Logo
Windosr Hill Logo
Sponsor-Logos-Novotel
Perfect-Crystal-Windows-Sponsor-logo
Acai-Berry-Sponsor-logo
O4Life logo
Sinton Andrews
Contested
DoubleTree_logo
Become a partner About our partners Contact Us How to Find Us

TRAILFINDERS – THE TRAVEL EXPERTS

Trailfinders Travel Logo

For Conferences, Corporate Days, Weddings and Parties

© 2025 EALING RUGBY CLUB IS A TRADING NAME OF THE EALING FOOTBALL CLUB (RUGBY UNION) LIMITED WHICH IS INCORPORATED WITH LIMITED LIABILITY UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL AND PROVIDENT SOCIETIES ACT 1965 UNDER NO. 30274R.

PRIVACY POLICY | TERMS & CONDITIONS