Maul of the same?

By Gelbel
September 16 2015

With a 100 per cent record at the start of this new season, Yorkshire Carnegie take on newly promoted Ealing Trailfinders. And it’s not the walk in the park that people may think it will be as our opposition have more than held their own in their two matches, despite playing two teams fancied for the end of season play-offs.

In their first match, Ealing Trailfinders were only just pipped to the post and were leading Rotherham Titans until a last-minute penalty, from just about on the halfway line, won the match for our South Yorkshire neighbours. Ealing's points came from every way possible – tries, conversions, drop goals and penalties. They had a biggish defeat against London Scottish but managed to put three tries past them, were unlucky not to get the try bonus point despite having the upper hand at times in the match.

As mentioned, this will not be the walk in the park that we’ve enjoyed against Ealing in their previous season in the Championship. However, as Rotherham and London Scottish have both lost matches this season there is a question of how will Ealing cope with a team that’s brimming with confidence.

So who and how to play? I’d start with a similar line-up as against Rotherham with two changes in the front row: Beech and Tideswell to start as we won’t need the grunt later in the match to tire Ealing out. Ealing are likely to find it difficult to manage our forwards from the start so no point in over egging the pudding(s) from the bench. I'd like to see what a Fitz/Forsyth partnership can do in the centres. In his post-match interview, Brush hoped some other players would come into the mix – Hodgson and Casson (wipes away tear as it’s of the Tom variety) were mentioned and they would be ideal to start their campaigns coming off the bench. Is Williams available to take Saull’s place on the bench if the later is injured? I hope so.

I would expect to see the backs starting to fire more and score rather than the pack mauling the opposition for much of the match and taking all the glory. Although it’s good to see the big guys doing their stuff, the backs have not been without endeavour and on the odd occasion when they have had the ball and not kicked it away, it’s only been good defence or early season rustiness that have stopped them scoring. I do expect much less kicking but if there is any, it will be more accurate, giving the chasers the chance to regain possession. We should see some running rugby as the weather looks like it’s going to be good again and it’d be unfair to the glorious pitch not to take advantage of it. Talking of backs, is Goss injured? He seemed to be limping at the end v Romania.

Stand out for me at Clifton Park was our discipline - wow, I can’t remember when I’ve seen so few and long may that continue.

I notice that Nathan Hannay, late of this parish, has not appeared in either of Ealing’s match day squads. Jersey Beast? I think not. I found myself staring at Dean Scofield as he was warming up to come on as replacement last week, I can't get over the size of him (and I was the opposite side of the pitch) – he’s a man mountain. I'm not usually impressed by the size of the players having been brought up with some colossuses. He's blooming massive.

Yorkshire Carnegie by 20 to 30 but not without the opposition making a nuisance of themselves, making their presence known and scoring a few of their own.