Finding We Were Trailing in Ealing....

Having missed out on both encounters at Trailfinders Sports Club (aka Vallis Way) when the sides met in the Championship what feels like aeons ago in 2020-21, I was very keen to visit this time, and a group of us, having found our way to the ground despite roadworks causing minor havoc in the area, made our way into the Olympic Pavilion for some very welcoming hospitality and for those so inclined a rather good short rib of beef for lunch; at £30 on top of the price of a match ticket, the hospitality  was very good value and our group expressed a wish that Sarries could provide something similar at that price point although there would be a difference in numbers to cater for. Ealing had posted a decent-looking squad, with familiar names in Reuben Bird-Tulloch  and Danny Cutmore (Trailfinders’ other two former Sarries, Ben Harris and Nathan Earle, did not feature in the matchday squad) and Jordy Reid, recently late of Gloucester. Sarries were putting out something of a hotch-potch of a squad, with a mixture of new signings like Sam Spink, Fraser Balmain and Callum Braley due to enjoy their first game-time, youngsters breaking though into the first-team squad such as Charlie Bracken, Toby Knight and Josh Hallett and an even younger contingent in the form of Angus Hall, Max Eke and the highly promising Brandon Jackson. Bracken the even younger, Jack, was on the bench.  Tim Swiel, so impressive against Tigers last week, had retained his place in the starting XV on the basis that he is currently the club’s only fit specialist fly-half.

We made our way into a compact but neat arena, set in a lot of acreage as Mrs Jonny would put it, and found our seats in a cramped and somewhat claustrophobic upper tier.

Ealing, not unexpectedly given their fans’ level of interest in this game and an opprtunity to gain a measure of revenge for the two-leg drubbing handed out by an admittedly fully-loaded Sarries in the Championship play-offs three years ago, hit their straps very quickly, turning Sarries over and setting up Farrar to accelerate forward in space, Jones adding the extras from near the touchline for 7-0 after just 2 minutes.

The home side immediately went close to a second try but fumbled the ball when a score looked odds-on.  

Sarries’ relief was short-lived when 2 minutes after Ealing’s first score Bird-Tulloch did his former employers no favours by powering over the line, although the conversion was missed to leave the score at 12-0, perfectly manageable for our lads IF they could clear their heads and organise themselves a little.

Shortly afterwards, Bracken was replaced by Braley.

To their credit, Sarries did step things up a bit after the second try, with Parton breaking through  at pace, and then Spink charged forward to be stopped close to the line.

Spink then picked up a clever crossfield kick and had another go but Ealing turned the ball over. Given time, Sam could prove rather a good signing.

Sarries continued to dominate without creating any real chances to threaten the Ealing line, and on 24 minutes were punished by Ealing tightening their grip on the game when a penalty to the corner and well-worked maul put Bird-Tulloch over for 17-0 after another missed conversion.

The half-hour mark was reached, and Sarries’ day got even worse when in rapid succession Brantingham and then Knight were yellow-carded, followed by the award of a penalty try to Ealing for 24-0.

As the half looked to be drawing to a (for Sarries) frustrating close,  Jackson lit up proceedings for the black and red contingent when he picked up the ball just inside his own half and scorched past the Ealing defenders to dot down and give his side a toehold in the game, although Swiel’s conversion was unsuccessful to leave matters at 24-5.

Although not entirely at full-strength themselves, Ealing were demonstrating that they were slick, strong, motivated and formidably well-organised; we tried to console ourselves, as we made our way back to the Olympic Pavilion for a half-time coffee, that we were seeing a third-string Sarries but that would be a disservice to Trailfinders.

Sarries were particularly struggling in the scrum.  

We decided to stand at pitch-side for the second half, not least out of annoyance with the large gentleman sat by us in the stand who appeared to be a self-appointed and very loud referee, coach and cheerleader all rolled into one. I’ve never actually been involved in fisticuffs at a rugby match, but if anyone took me close it was this chap!

The second half began in pretty much identical fashion to the first, with Ealing stretching their lead still more after only 3 minutes  when a lineout deep in the Sarries half preceded a good passage of play for the hosts as they worked the ball across to the right for Kernohan to take the score, after a missed conversion, to 29-5, and potentially beyond a Sarries side that had struggled for most of the afternoon.

Hope, however, springs eternal and following Ealing’s bonus-point try try Sarries enjoyed a very good spell aided by a series of penalties that took them towards the Ealing line, the home defence was put under siege before the powerful Wilson emerged from the congestion and planted the pill over the line. Swiel did the honours and at a slightly healthier-looking 29-12 with the best part of half an hour left, well, there was just a glimmer of light at the end of a long tunnel….  

Ealing composed themselves quickly and set about the Sarries defence once more with Braley twice averting danger by gathering an attempted kick through and then intercepting a pass.

Ealing had a better chance when they worked the ball from one side to the other and in fact crossed the Sarries line but the ball was held up. Phew.

The game reached a bit of a stalemate, with Sarries working hard to get within a score in the hope of a nail-biting finish (we know all about those don’t we?) but failing to carve out any clear-cut chances, while Ealing looked pretty calm and seemed happy to try and manage the game out.

So things continued as the game neared its closing stages, before Sarries, still doing their best, took the score, very belatedly, to within range of try and losing bonus points on 76 minutes when a fleet-footed Jackson intercepted the ball and hurtled most of the length of the pitch to secure his second try of the game, with Swiel’s straightforward conversion taking Sarries to within 10 points, the closest they’d been to Ealing since the opening minutes of the match.  

In the couple of minutes remaining, Sarries were unable to secure the three points they needed, and that was it.

 It was always going to be a challenge for this Sarries line-up to rack up a result against a very good Ealing squad, but it was a disappointing afternoon nonetheless. Still, at least some of the new signings have had some game-time, and it was a good run out for the youngsters.  

Photo courtesy of Jonny Browne

MATCHDAY SQUADS:

Ealing Trailfinders

15 Wilson; 14 Kernohan; 13 Bird-Tulloch; 12 Holgate; 11 Collins; 10 Jones; 9 Hampson

1 Whyte; 2 Willemse; 3 Alo; 4 Bridge; 5 Cutmore; 6 Farrar; 7 Reid; 8 Montgomery

 Substitutes:

Cornish; Zigiriadis; Davis; Lonsdale; Smid; Williams; Willis; Moore

Sarries

15 Parton; 14 Hall; 13 Spink; 12 Hallett; 11 Jackson; 10 Swiel; 9 C Bracken

1 Brantingham; 2 Pifeleti; 3 Balmain; 4 Wilson; 5 Sodeke; 6 Eke; 7 Knight; 8 Michelow

 Substitutes:

Hadfield; Crean; Hoskins; Sylvester; Moore-Aiono; Braley; Clark; J Bracken

Match Officials:

Referee: Joe James, Assistant Referees: Holly Wood, Mike Woods