Ealing Trailfinders took all five points away from The Bay this weekend, beating Nottingham 36-21 away from home to go top of the Championship table overnight.

A brace from Tom Collins, along with tries from Craig Willis, Jordan Holgate, Will Montgomery and David Douglas Bridge, gave Trailfinders their third win in four games to start the season.

The result leaves them top of the table overnight, going into round five when they will host Ampthill at home.

Many would have forgiven the players at The Bay tonight for a cagey affair due to Nottingham’s damp and brisk conditions, yet neither side seemed to kneel to the atmospheric conditions.

The ball was flying around from minute one. The Archers were insistent on playing expansively and chipped and chased in behind within the first five minutes. They regathered and broke, and although Trailfinders recovered to force a knock-on, Notts had set the tone. 

The visitors countered with a first attack of their own. Willis threw a dummy and sliced through the Nottingham line, beating the full-back to score Trailfinders’ opener.

The West Londoners then smelt blood and piled on the pressure. They entered The Archers’ 22 again, sucking in their defence with an organised set of pick and gos, and Craig Hampson found Holgate in space to dive over the whitewash.

Trailfinders kept the scoreboard ticking over soon after. Reuben Bird-Tulloch ran an exceptional line off a Simon Uzokwe carry, and the flanker fed him straight through a hole in the Nottingham Defence. 

After a rapid phase, Trailfinders found the width down the left, and Collins went over for his first to cap off a brilliant team try.

The hosts finally replied with a score of their own, following sustained possession in the Trailfinders red zone. Charlie Myall went through untouched after linking up with his centre partner to get Nottingham back in it.

Will Montgomery sealed the try bonus with the first half’s final play. Holgate broke down the right wing and put Montgomery through to sprint over from 30m out.

Half-Time: 7-24 

The second half was less frantic than the second, with both sides electing to kick more of the ball than during the first term. 

The scoring trends continued, however, and Douglas Bridge crashed over from short range to get Trailfinders going in the second half.

Collins then scored his second soon after. An absolute ripper down the left. The winger sprinted down the line, hit a grubber behind his opposite number and latched onto the end of the kick to score an early try-of-the-year contender.

That would cap off the Trailfinders’ scoring for the evening, and Nottingham scored two tries in the last 10 minutes in a last-gasp attempt to earn a point. 

They failed, however, and Trailfinders sealed an impressive bounce-back victory, leaving them on top of the Championship table.

Full-Time: 21-36

Tries

Nottingham: 

Myall (29), Dickinson (63), Williams (79)

Ealing Trailfinders:

Willis (8), Holgate (17), Collins (24, 57), Montgomery (39), Douglas Bridge (51)

Conversions

Nottingham: 

Matt Arden (29, 63, 79)

Ealing Trailfinders:

Willis (8, 17, 51) 

Jonah Holmes crossed for a brace as Ealing Trailfinders powered to a 21-41 win over Nottingham at Lady Bay.

The league leaders scored seven tries to Nottingham’s three to romp to an impressive 20 point victory and maintain their six point lead at the top of the Championship table.

Trailfinders arrived at Lady Bay with plenty of confidence following last Saturday’s 66-0 win over London Scottish, but it was the hosts who took the early lead. Nottingham gained possession near their own try-line and spread the ball wide to winger Jordan Olowofela who broke through the Trailfinders defence to charge up the pitch and score. The try was converted and Nottingham led 7-0 after four minutes.

Nottingham’s early dominance only lasted three minutes. Prop Dan Richardson was shown a yellow card and the West Londoners took full advantage, passing quickly to fly-half Craig Willis who dotted down in the corner.

With the Trailfinders pack starting to build their dominance and with the backs finding their attacking flair (despite the muddy conditions), fullback Jonah Holmes collected a neat grubber kick to power over and score near the sticks. Willis added the extras and the visitors were out to a 7-12 lead after 20 minutes.

Five minutes later and it was extended to 7-19. Centre Max Bodilly charged down the Nottingham kick to collect possession and cross for Trailfinders’ third try. Willis converted and the visitors were starting to build momentum.

With the clock ticking over 30 minutes, Trailfinders set up for the attacking lineout. The forwards won possession and formed a formidable driving maul. The maul drove powerfully towards the Nottingham line with experienced hooker Alun Walker bulldozing his way over to extend Trailfinders’ lead to 7-24.

With the bonus point secured, Ealing Trailfinders were determined to maintain their dominance in the second 40. They shot out of the blocks quickly, working the ball into Nottingham territory before a fast break and neat pass saw prop Kyle Whyte stride in from 15 metres.

Facing an ever increasing margin, Nottingham showed their resilience hitting the scoreboard just four minutes later. Fly-half Sam Hollingsworth fired an impressive cross-field kick to winger Ryan Olowofela who collected the ball to dot down in the corner. Hollingsworth converted and the score was cut to 14-29.

With both sides looking to gain control in the middle phases of the second half, it took another 15 minutes before the next score. Trailfinders built attacking momentum before a lovely wide move saw Holmes slice through the Nottingham defence and cross for his second of the match. Willis slotted the conversion and the West Londoners were out to a 14-36 lead.

 

Ten minutes later and Nottingham reduced the deficit, adding their third try with a well worked score in the far corner. Hollingsworth converted to reduce the deficit to 21-36.

But with the clock ticking towards the red, it was Trailfinders who had the last laugh. With five minutes to go, replacement flanker Simon Uzokwe powered his way over to extend the lead to 21-41 and secure an impressive bonus point victory.

Tickets are on sale for next Saturday’s Championship fixture against Cornish Pirates at Trailfinders Sports Club (KO 3pm). Click here to purchase tickets. To book our delicious pre-match hospitality email: hospitality@etprm.com.

Full-time Score: Nottingham 21-41 Ealing Trailfinders

T: Willis 8′, Holmes 19′, 61′, Bodilly 25′, Walker 31′, Whyte 42′, Uzokwe 75′

C: Willis 19′, 25′, 62′

Ealing Trailfinders made the perfect start to the new Greene King IPA Championship season as they recorded a thunderous 52-3 victory over Nottingham at Lady Bay.

Ben Ward’s men scored eight tries in total in a dominant display to register a bonus point win on the opening day of the campaign.

Guy Thompson, Fraser Strachan, Angus Kernohan and Harry Casson all crossed the line whilst Alun Walker and Craig Hampson both scored twice in a memorable victory.

A relentless first half display gave them the platform to secure the win, as they had the four-try bonus point wrapped up in the opening 35 minutes.

Ward’s side came flying out of the blocks and Jack Tovey was inches from scoring inside three minutes. The centre picked a great line in the midfield and it looked like he had the pace to cruise over, but a last ditch tap tackle meant it remained scoreless.

They didn’t have to wait long though for the opening try, as Guy Thompson scored four minutes later. With possession on the half way line, a fizzed pass created an overlap on the left hand side, and the back-rower dummied past the final defender before racing clear from 25 metres to dive over the line. Craig Willis’ impressive conversion but his side 7-0 ahead.

Nottingham then got on the scoreboard as Alex Dolly kicked a penalty from in front of the posts, but the West Londoners them dominated the rest of the first half to pull away from their opponents.

A sequence of penalties took them to within 10 metres of the try-line, and then in trademark fashion Alun Walker pounced at the back of the rolling maul to open his account for the season and extend the lead to nine points.

The hosts were then looking for a way back in to the match, but their ambition caught them out as Craig Hampson sniffed out an interception on the half way line and he couldn’t be caught to dot down under the posts. Willis added the extras, giving the visitors a 19-3 lead with 25 minutes on the clock.

The bonus point then came five minutes before half time as Fraser Strachan stepped his way to the line. Sustained pressure in the 22 meant that the Green and Whites were edging closer, before Willis’ powerful pass gave Strachan the perfect timing and he wouldn’t be stopped from 10 metres out. The conversion gave the Trailfinders a 26-3 lead as half time approached.

A big carry from James Cordy Redden on the wing nearly set Strachan up for his second try in the last play of the half, but he was penalised for holding on and Ward’s men headed down the tunnel with a convincing lead after a highly encouraging opening 40 minutes at Lady Bay.

The second half started in the same fashion as the first, with the Trailfinders enjoying the majority of possession. A penalty was kicked in to the 22, and then after a few phases Alun Walker carried and had too much power for the Nottingham defence. The conversion meant the lead was now up to 30 points.

The bench was then emptied for the final quarter, and to the delight of the coaches the intensity went up a level as the performance continued to improve.

Angus Kernohan’s brilliant individual finish on the right wing secured try number six on the hour. The ball was spun wide to the former Ulsterman, and he bumped his way over two scrambling defenders before diving in the corner to score.

It kept getting better for the Trailfinders, and they scored again just five minutes later as Hampson crossed for his second. Harry Casson picked an outstanding line in the midfield and looked as if he would score himself, but he popped it up to the scrum-half who could dive over from close range. Steven Shingler added the extras to take the lead above 40.

There was still time for one more try before the end, and Casson got a deserved try with just five minutes left to round off the win in style. Again he found himself in space after an aggressive carry, and this time he had no defenders in front of him as he sprinted to the line from 15 metres out to score a very popular try amongst the squad. Shingler’s conversion confirmed a monstrous 52-3 victory, and gave the West Londoners a mightily impressive start.

They welcome Ampthill to Trailfinders Sports Club next Saturday for Round Two, and will be looking for more of the same as they aim to build on a fantastic start.

Nottingham:

15 Jack Stapley 14 Joe Carpenter 13 Will Millett 12 Joe Bedlow 11 Joe Browning 10 Tom Curtis 9 Alex Dolly 1 Toby Williams 2 Jake Farnworth 3 Karl Garside 4 Jac Price 5 Luke Frost 6 Kieran Curran 7 Carl Kirwan 8 Jordan Coghlan

Replacements:

16 Aniseko Sio 17 Shaun Evans 18 Harri O’Connor 19 Jack Ramshaw 20 Willie Ryan 21 Josh Poullet 22 Michael Stronge 23 Charlie Thacker

Scorers:

Penalties: Alex Dolly (10 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 David Johnston (replaced by Luke Daniels, 65 mins) 14 Angus Kernohan 13 Jack Tovey 12 Fraser Strachan 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Craig Willis (replaced by Steven Shingler, 60 mins) 9 Craig Hampson (replaced by Jordan Burns, 70 mins) 1 Will Davis (replaced by Kyle Whyte, 48 mins) 2 Alun Walker (replaced by Shaun Malton, 48 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills (replaced by Johannes Jonker, 48 mins) 4 Bobby de Wee 5 James Cannon (replaced by Harry Casson, 55 mins) 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Guy Thompson 8 Rayn Smid (c) (replaced by Shane Buckley, 65 mins)

Replacements:

16 Shaun Malton 17 Kyle Whyte 18 Johannes Jonker 19 Harry Casson 20 Shane Buckley 21 Jordan Burns 22 Steven Shingler 23 Luke Daniels

Scorers:

Tries: Guy Thompson (7 minutes) Alun Walker (16, 47 minutes) Craig Hampson (25, 65 minutes) Fraser Strachan (35 minutes) Angus Kernohan (60 minutes) Harry Casson (73 minutes)

Conversions: Craig Willis (7, 25, 35, 47 minutes) Steven Shingler (65, 73 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Jake Makepeace

Assistant Referees: Nick Wood & Lionel Spooner

Fourth Official: Tim Allatt

Half Time Score: Nottingham 3-26 Ealing Trailfinders

Ealing Trailfinders saw their seven-match winning run come to an end after a disappointing 42-27 defeat to Nottingham at Lady Bay.

Ben Ward’s side held a narrow 24-22 lead at half time but they were undone in the second half as the hosts rampaged their way to a comprehensive win.

A topsy turvy first half saw the lead change hands a number of times, and the first points of the match came from Jack Spittle as he put Nottingham in front. A lineout on half way went through the hands and the ball found it’s way to the winger who was able to beat the final defender to score in the corner. The conversion went wide, and that seemed to galvanise the visitors as they sparked straight back in to life.

They gathered the re-start and went through over 30 phases of pick and go’s to inch their way towards the line. Jordy Reid was then able to carry over from close range to dot the ball down under the posts. Peter Lydon converted to put his side 7-5 in front.

Nottingham then re-took the lead just three minutes later with another counter attack try, this time from Murray McConnell. A line break saw them get behind the defence and a smart offload found the scrum-half who had the pace to run clear. Former Trailfinder Shane O’Leary converted, before kicking a penalty five minutes later to extend their lead to eight points.

The West Londoners then got back in to the match on the half hour mark with a try from Kieran Murphy. With play moving towards the 22, the flanker picked up at the able of a ruck and bulldozed his way past the defenders before running through to score in impressive fashion. Lydon again converted to cut the deficit to just a point.

In frustrating fashion Nottingham were next on the scoreboard just when it seemed like the Trailfinders were taking control. A clearing kick from the visitors ricocheted off a Nottingham body and bounced up in to the hands of Will Millett who had the pace to run away from over 50 metres. O’Leary added the extras before Ben Ward’s men then rallied to take the lead at the end of the first half.

With play deep in the Nottingham 22 the Trailfinders again went through the phases, and Craig Willis stepped his way past the final defender to score their third try. Lydon converted, and also kicked a penalty with the final play of the half to give his side a 24-22 lead at the break.

Ryan Foley kicked the first points of the second half with a drop goal to extend the lead to five points, but from then on Nottingham dominated as the visitors looked unrecognisable from their recent form.

O’Leary kicked a penalty as they cut the deficit to two points, and then they went in front on the hour mark as Jack Spittle scored his second of the match as he intercepted from 80 metres before racing under the posts. O’Leary added the extras, and they then scored again with 15 minutes remaining to take control.

A number of penalties moved them up towards the try-line, and then a driving maul powered over to allow Jake Farnworth to dot down to put the result beyond doubt. O’Leary took his personal tally up to 17 points with a drop goal on the 75th minute as Nottingham went over the 40 point mark to celebrate an impressive win at Lady Bay.

Nottingham:

15. Sean Scanlon 14. Jack Spittle 13. Will Millett 12. Luke Peters 11. Billy Robinson 10. Shane O’Leary 9. Murray McConnell (c) 1. James Penman 2. Luke Cole 3. Rory Burke 4. Cameron Dolan 5. Llewelyn Jones 6. Seb Cecil 7. Jordan Coghlan 8. Josh Poullet

Replacements:

16. Jake Farnworth 17. Jamie Jack 18. Oisin Heffernan 19. George Cox 20. Will Owen 21. Darryl Veenendaal 22. David Williams

Scorers:

Tries: Jack Spittle (11, 57 minutes) Murray McConnell (20 minutes) Will Millett (31 minutes) Jake Farnworth (69 minutes)

Conversions: Shane O’Leary (20, 31, 57, 69 minutes)

Penalties: Shane O’Leary (27, 54 minutes)

Drop Goal: Shane O’Leary (75 minutes)

Ealing Trailfinders:

15 Peter Lydon 14 Segundo Tuculet 13 Guy Armitage 12 Pat Howard 11 James Cordy Redden 10 Craig Willis (replaced by Sam Olver, 55 mins) 9 Ryan Foley (replaced by Jordan Burns, 70 mins) 1 Jake Ellwood (replaced by Alex Lundberg, 60 mins) 2 Matt Cornish (replaced by Alun Walker, 60 mins) 3 Elliot Millar Mills (replaced by Ben Betts, 65 mins) 4 Ben West (replaced by Jordan Onojaife, 60 mins) 5 Tom Denton 6 Kieran Murphy 7 Jordy Reid (replaced by Andrew Durutalo, 70 mins) 8 Rayn Smid (c)

Replacements:

16 Alun Walker 17 Alex Lundberg 18 Ben Betts 19 Jordan Onojaife 20 Andrew Durutalo 21 Jordan Burns 22 Sam Olver

Scorers:

Tries: Jordy Reid (15 minutes) Kieran Murphy (29 minutes) Craig Willis (33 minutes)

Conversions: Peter Lydon (15, 29, 33 minutes)

Penalties: Peter Lydon (40 minutes)

Drop Goal: Ryan Foley (49 minutes)

Match Officials:

Referee: Anthony Woodthorpe

Assistant Referees: Simon Adams & Simon Park

Fourth Official: Dan Parrott

Half Time Score: Nottingham 22 – 24 Ealing Trailfinders