Saints v Ealing Prem Cup - Teams Up
By Saint Ted
February 28 2025
This is the Northampton Saints v Ealing Trailfinders macth thread
Who: Northampton Saints v Ealing Trailfinders
Where: Franklins Gardens
When: Saturday 1st March 2025; 15:00
How do I watch: Go to the ground it aint on TV, there are loads of tickets available
Tickets: From T'offy
Match day info: Guide to the Gardens
Saints take: Saints O'ffy
Ealings Take: Ealing O'ffy
Officials:
Referee: Sara Cox
Assistant referees: Harry Walbaum and Mike Woods
No. 4: Gareth Holsgrove
Teams:
| Northampton Saints | Ealing Trailfinders | |
| George Hendy | 15 | Tobi Wilson |
| James Ramm | 14 | Angus Kernohan |
| Tom Litchfield | 13 | Reuben Bird-Tulloch |
| Charlie Savala | 12 | Francis Moore |
| Tom Seabrook | 11 | Tom Collins |
| Rory Hutchinson | 10 | Dan Jones |
| Tom James | 9 | Craig Hampson |
| Emmanuel Iyogun | 1 | Lefty Zigiriadis |
| Craig Wright | 2 | Mike Willemse (c) |
| Luke Green | 3 | George Davis |
| Chunya Munga | 4 | Bobby De Wee |
| Tom Lockett | 5 | Sean Lonsdale |
| Angus Scott-Young (c) | 6 | Rob Farrar |
| Fyn Brown | 7 | Jordy Reid |
| Iakopo Mapu | 8 | David Bridge |
| Replacements: | ||
| Nathan Langdon | 16 | Matt Cornish |
| Tom West | 17 | Kyle Whyte |
| Elliot Millar Mills | 18 | Biyi Alo |
| Ed Prowse | 19 | Danny Cutmore |
| Juarno Augustus | 20 | Ollie Newman |
| Jake Garside | 21 | Lloyd Williams |
| Burger Odendaal | 22 | George Worboys |
| Will Glister | 23 | Michael Dykes |
Not available for selection:
Emeka Atuanya, George Furbank, Sam Graham, Callum Hunter-Hill, George Makepeace-Cubitt, Archie McParland, Toby Thame, Robbie Smith and Jonny Weimann.
International duty:
Alex Coles, Fraser Dingwall, Tommy Freeman, Alex Mitchell, Henry Pollock, Ollie Sleightholme, Fin Smith (all England), Aiden Ainsworth-Cave and Ollie Scola (both England U20s).
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Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:07:07:22:31 by Saint Ted.
But it's a braver team than I would have gone with. We've completely rested: (1) Haffar (though that might be tactical with him 3rd choice for this), (2) C.Langdon, (3) Davison, (4) Mayanavanua, (5) Kemeny, and (6) Pearson.
That's a hefty chunk of pack missing, which in my head would have guaranteed the win. Now we should still win, but it doesn't feel like a banker any more.
Ooops wrong post
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:02:28:13:38:37 by Dave Jackson.
Great to see Burger on the bench
As the only Prem team playing a Championship side, I hope this is strong enough to do the job. Silverware is silverware.
Quote:higgy365
Odendaal on the bench, rather than starting? It’s almost like the coaches are purposefully ignoring the wisdom freely available on this message board. Shocking, nay, shameful*
As the only Prem team playing a Championship side, I hope this is strong enough to do the job. Silverware is silverware.
Errr excuse me, I said if he fit he should be on the bench!
Ok, I may got told i was incorrect :p
Good follow up to take back two tries but Ealing looking quite good
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:01:15:13:54 by JohnI.
Fair result.
Shame TC fell short of the hat trick.
Saints might want to ask where the heck the direction was? Where the defence was? Where te attitude was?
As for Saints, what a difference a season makes…
Quote:Saint Maul
Congratulations Ealing. Well played.
As for Saints, what a difference a season makes…
I suppose we will see during the rest of the season. I've never known Saints to be without so many players for such big parts of a season.
Add to that a mostly flat crowd in the half-empty stadium (learn from this with your ticket prices, Saints!), exacerbated by conceding two tries in the first four minutes.
Very poor all round.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:01:17:50:36 by Matthew.
At 1500 this afternoon the Saints had the chance of a home semi-final next weekend though obviously this depended on the game at Sandy Park. Looking even further ahead, even a home final was a possibility, in theory at least. We were playing a good Championship team but one nonetheless that a Saints second string outfit, are we not English Champions, should be able to beat especially with the likes of Iyoguni, Hutchinson, James and Hendy in the mix. What I saw was a woefulperformance from the first minute from a disorganised set of players who seemed to have neither the attitude nor the ability to overcome a spirited Trailfinders team. With no disrespect to Ealing, who thoroughly deserved their victory, this should not be the case. Giant killers come and go; if we had lost a close game by the odd point, well it’s one of those things. This performance was abject.
Two clear weekends now to get players fit in body and soul hoping against hope that our International absentees come through the Six Nations unscathed.
Disappointed !
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:01:18:29:35 by NGSB.
Quote:NGSB
I’m a little confused so perhaps someone could put me right.
At 1500 this afternoon the Saints had the chance of a home semi-final next weekend though obviously this depended on the game at Sandy Park. Looking even further ahead, even a home final was a possibility, in theory at least. We were playing a good Championship team but one nonetheless that a Saints second string outfit should be able to beat especially with the likes of Iyoguni, Hutchinson, James and Hendy in the mix. What I saw was a woefulperformance from the first minute from a disorganised set of players who seemed to have neither the attitude nor the ability to overcome a spirited Trailfinders team. With no disrespect to Ealing, who thoroughly deserved their victory, this should not be the case. Giant killers come and go; if we had lost a close game by the odd point, well it’s one of those things. This performance was abject.
Two clear weekends now to get players fit in body and soul hoping against hope that our International absentees come through the Six Nations unscathed.
Disappointed !
You forgot to mention the share of £500k prize money
Plus the chance of additional gate revenue
Quote:Sans Culottes
Dreadful from some many perspectives. Not least we paid good money watch that abject performance, and would have been happy to pay more for the next two rounds ( possibly) had the team turned up today. I don’t like to whinge , but that was carp all round.
Oh , and Ealing throughly deserved the win.
Quote:
".............We've got to make sure we learn, we rue the mistakes from today and that we're better next time............"
We have finally delved into the Jim Mallinder post-game lexicon!
Quote:NGSB
For those who may not have noticed, Furbs, Mitch, Fin and Tommy were wandering around the ground.
A bit like the 23 players in Saints shirts, then.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:01:20:10:52 by Connorman.
I am not sure arrogance is the right word but there seems a view above that you should be able to chuck together a team of young Saints players, missing most of your XV and even some from the 23 and still beat a team of good professionals who play week in and out with each other?
I think the experience will have been good for your young players and I still prefer your and our approach to those sending fully loaded Prem Xvs into this competition.
Quote:Saint dolph
Ealing looked good but saints were awful. As good as they were i expext exeter to beat them quite well next week. As for saints that better be a wake up call.
They've thrashed yourselves (away), Sarries (away), and beaten Bath (away) in pre-season. What makes you think Exeter of all teams will beat them 'comfortably'?
They've thrashed yourselves (away), Sarries (away), and beaten Bath (away) in pre-season. What makes you think Exeter of all teams will beat them 'comfortably'?[/quote
Exeter put out there first choice 15 alot in this comp. The other teams you named have not. Exeter only really missing slade and waboso. Here's an example of what our first team was missing . I know it's international/injuries and saints made good use of getting guys experience but Exeter have not done this really hence why I think they will be too strong .
Furbank
Freeman
Dingwall
Sleights
Smith
Mitch
Pollock
Pearson
Kemeny
Temo
Coles
Davison
Langdon
Haffar
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today. Exeter will field a very strong team next week close to their first 15
Quote:PaulHerox
I've not watched the game but I caught Ealings comfortable win against, like yours, a proper Saracens PRC team at the StoneX and they're a good team.
I am not sure arrogance is the right word but there seems a view above that you should be able to chuck together a team of young Saints players, missing most of your XV and even some from the 23 and still beat a team of good professionals who play week in and out with each other?
I think the experience will have been good for your young players and I still prefer your and our approach to those sending fully loaded Prem Xvs into this competition.
I make it that 10 of today's 23 played in either a Premiership final or Champions Cup semi final last season. We may still have lost, but really should not have been second best in every area of today's game.
Quote:Saint dolph
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today.
Aren't you guys 8th in the Premiership? ...out of 10. Ealing probably at least at that level.
Quote:lineoutballQuote:Saint dolph
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today.
Aren't you guys 8th in the Premiership? ...out of 10. Ealing probably at least at that level.
When we have put out close to our first team at home we have lost once in the last year . If you think that ealing team beats us at home with our gun 15 out your mad. We are 8 and deserve to be there as we can't win away. We are the French of old .
Quote:batty
We now have 2 weeks off and if that follows the normal pattern after a break we will be slaughtered by Leicester. Can only hope that the right team and one that wants to win turns up on the Friday night.
Trying to make yourselves Underdogs already!🤣
In what's been a tough season there seems quite a lot of positivity about their PRC results with little recognition that they're sending their almost full team against 2nd and 3rd Premiership teams and weaker Championship ones.
I guess if they win some silverware it will be worth it but as importantly if they build continuity for the remainder of the Premiership. It still feels a poor use of the PRC but without proper guidelines every team is ofc free to field the team they feel serves them best.
Quote:NGSB
For those who may not have noticed, Furbs, Mitch, Fin and Tommy were wandering around the ground.
Some of you might have noticed a group of Wuss on Tour, we had a chat with Fin post game, he seems in good form, and why not!
Always enjoy a trip to The Gardens, but you were pretty poor yesterday. Ealing looked very well organised.
Just for interest, any comments on the Red Card incident, we haven’t a clue what occurred.
Edit…now TRP has arrived the Red Card has been understood 😀
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:02:10:45:20 by TeflonTed.
Quote:With our starting 15, this Ealing team would run us very close or beat us.Saint dolphQuote:lineoutballQuote:Saint dolph
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today.
Aren't you guys 8th in the Premiership? ...out of 10. Ealing probably at least at that level.
When we have put out close to our first team at home we have lost once in the last year . If you think that ealing team beats us at home with our gun 15 out your mad. We are 8 and deserve to be there as we can't win away. We are the French of old .
Quote:saintcobblerQuote:With our starting 15, this Ealing team would run us very close or beat us.Saint dolphQuote:lineoutballQuote:Saint dolph
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today.
Aren't you guys 8th in the Premiership? ...out of 10. Ealing probably at least at that level.
When we have put out close to our first team at home we have lost once in the last year . If you think that ealing team beats us at home with our gun 15 out your mad. We are 8 and deserve to be there as we can't win away. We are the French of old .
Could not disagree more if we are talking about our first 15 at home. There's a reason we have only lost once at home in a long time . If it was our first 15 away then they would fancy there chances due to our shocking away form .

Quote:Chris Hoddle
I suppose that yesterday's game would have been the last game of the season for some of the players and for those hoping for a contract extension was their last opportunity to impress?
So who might fall into that category other than the red card, who was signed as a short term replacement for Sam Graham.
Those that may have ended their season could be
Litchfield Savala, Munga, Mapu, Prowse, Langdon, Garside, Glister

Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:02:17:16:02 by Chris Hoddle.
I can’t imagine that Litchfield will be going anywhere soon - sorry Chris.
I have never understood some of this self righteous posturing about the Premiership Cup being a ‘development competition’. Maybe I am missing something but I have never seen anything written down about teams having to play junior or fringe players : I accept that their is a regulation regarding the semi-final and final requiring earlier participation or so I am told ! Surely it is up to the Clubs how they approach the whole thing depending on their playing resources and likely effect of players not being available due to International obligations. It can be a welcome opportunity to feed injured players back into the mix as we saw with Odendaal yesterday or give someone like Hutch some much needed game time having not been used by Scotland. The simple fact that we have half a dozen players in the England camp allied to a series of long term injuries means that Saints have had to use a largely second string side which ran out of gas and/or motivation yesterday - maybe that performance may give someone indication why we are in eighth place ?
I wasn’t at the game yesterday, but that was his first game back after a reasonable lengthy injury lay-off. We need him fit and firing for the run in.
Litchfield on 'multi-year'
NGSB who said that Litchfield was going anywhere? If we have Dingwall, Burger, and Hutchinson available he would be 4th choice.
Garside would be 3/4 choice and may not get in the squad again this season.

Quote:Chris Hoddle
I think some have miss read my post? I said the end of their season, in that they may not play for the Saints again this season.
NGSB who said that Litchfield was going anywhere? If we have Dingwall, Burger, and Hutchinson available he would be 4th choice.
Garside would be 3/4 choice and may not get in the squad again this season.
My Garside comment was made in the belief that McParland is out for the season and Mitchell will be required to rest on at least one week

Quote:Saint Gordo
Just wondering, how many games did burger play for us last season? Please feel free to correct me, but didn't he have injury concerns before signing with Saints? I like the way he plays, and when healthy last season he was good. But he is an older player with injuries....
Same could be said of H-H
Burger played 11 matches last season, 9 as a starter.
Think he was injured first part of that season.


Quote:Chris Hoddle
Maybe Mitch doesn't need a "rest"? I am not sure what the rules say, but I thought I remembered seeing it was a number of games in the year, in which case he missed loads at the start of the season so may just be cleared? Not sure though.
Fair shout, I'd forgotten that
[archive.is]
So basically another league with play offs not a cup at all
Ring fenced it is
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:03:11:57:16 by NGSB.
Quote:Of courseFatAlan
Premiership needs to expand….end of. Needs to be accessible to a wider audience.
*But it is set up - fairly entrenched - to NOT expand
We as fans who hope for its future must either get this or just give up and enjoy what we have while we have it
Those that run it want it for themselves - or not at all.
Includes the schools. From their perspective they want to provide generation after generation of rugby players - or it serves little or no purpose to them.
People need to get past 'but they do this or that' or 'married couples are working 60 hours a week each to pay Fred's
That as got nothing to do with the fact that rugby is in the hands of those who firstly WANT the game contracted and secondly are incapable of any vision - if they were to care.
I don't want to revisit the schools debate but everything is joined up.
Rugby is where it is by intention - and that intention has not changed, it's just been dragged into being monetised by tv money, notably the scale of it, and by rest of the world rugby.
Shrinkage is inevitable if it is the chosen path.
*Meant to phrase it as rugby structure not meant to expand. Some selective (new Wasps ec) expansion of Prem is an aim I feel sure it again that selective aim is symptomatic of not caring about structure.
Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:03:12:25:32 by Scrumpy Half.
Quote:Saint dolphQuote:saintcobblerQuote:With our starting 15, this Ealing team would run us very close or beat us.Saint dolphQuote:lineoutballQuote:Saint dolph
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today.
Aren't you guys 8th in the Premiership? ...out of 10. Ealing probably at least at that level.
When we have put out close to our first team at home we have lost once in the last year . If you think that ealing team beats us at home with our gun 15 out your mad. We are 8 and deserve to be there as we can't win away. We are the French of old .
Could not disagree more if we are talking about our first 15 at home. There's a reason we have only lost once at home in a long time . If it was our first 15 away then they would fancy there chances due to our shocking away form .
They wouldn't just "fancy their chances", they would 100% beat you guys away from home. They would beat teams higher up than 8th/10, let alone you guys.
And lots of teams in the Premiership don't lose very often at home.
Quote:lineoutballQuote:Saint dolphQuote:saintcobblerQuote:With our starting 15, this Ealing team would run us very close or beat us.Saint dolphQuote:lineoutballQuote:Saint dolph
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today.
Aren't you guys 8th in the Premiership? ...out of 10. Ealing probably at least at that level.
When we have put out close to our first team at home we have lost once in the last year . If you think that ealing team beats us at home with our gun 15 out your mad. We are 8 and deserve to be there as we can't win away. We are the French of old .
Could not disagree more if we are talking about our first 15 at home. There's a reason we have only lost once at home in a long time . If it was our first 15 away then they would fancy there chances due to our shocking away form .
They wouldn't just "fancy their chances", they would 100% beat you guys away from home. They would beat teams higher up than 8th/10, let alone you guys.
And lots of teams in the Premiership don't lose very often at home.
I agree they would pick up wins in the season. There squad pitted against the rest of the prem over a long season is a different thing to picking up these cup wins. They dominated saints and rightfully won but that squad facing prem first choice 15s over a season would be battling falcons with relegation .
So what we have in apparent perpetuity is a ring fenced Premiership which is of course what the ten survivors wanted in the first place - Mark Darbon was on the record for this one. I don’t know about anyone else but I am really finding it difficult to maintain enthusiasm a game I have been watching since before Sgt Pepper ! How can you have a two month hiatus in an already truncated season ?
Now I read that the few Englishmen that go on the Lions tour will have a mandatory ten week (!) break from playing after the trip ends…………
Belated this may be but what a privilege it was to be at the Gardens last week. The whole experience was first class and the supporters I met really do justice to the idea of the perfect rugby fan. Many thanks.
And what a contrast to Sandy Park this week. I will not be going again.
Quote:Tidy
Well done on your deserved victory last week, I think everyone apart from chiefs fans were routing for you yesterday. I wish the powers that be would just let you up into the Premiership.
Please feel free to correct me if I am wrong but I believe Ealing did not put in the required application for consideration to be promoted to the Premiership - from memory it was just Coventry and Doncaster that did so ?

[en.wikipedia.org]
From our friendly media manager at Newcastle regarding Champions clubs and audits.
Mark: ‘The audit results haven’t been announced yet.’
Me: ‘Please correct me if I am wrong, but I thought the Championship clubs had to put themselves forward for Audit and I didn’t think Ealing had?’
Mark: ‘there has been no announcement confirming that.’
[www.rugbynetwork.net]

So, you are in a ring fenced league of 10 which, if the LI administrator's prediction is correct, may soon be 7 or 8. I hope you enjoy playing the same teams 3 or 4 times a season, 5 or 6 if you count the Cup.
I'm sorry if this comes across as bitter, as I said earlier I really enjoyed my trip to the Gardens, but the RFU and the PRL are sucking the life out of rugby in this country.
However I don’t think you would get pushback from any Saints supporter if it meant you joined the premiership and we get another home game
The league is short of two clubs
If you and another get promoted
Happy days
As such what Marlovian says isn’t sour grapes but the truth!
- The RFU slashed funding for Championship clubs!
- PRL has become a cartel and without the P shares any promoted Championship club stand little chance of staying in the top flight and would probably go bust whilst trying!
- The MSC were always too rigid and even after the slight relaxation the planning permission criteria was always going to be a spanner in the works.
- PRL & the Championship alleged attitude to the PRC is short sighted from both parties!
First, if ground capacity is an issue why can't the Brentford stadium bookings vacated by London Irish be taken up by Ealing?
Secondly why are there breaks in the 6N?
Quote:Santiago
There's a couple of things I would like to know.
First, if ground capacity is an issue why can't the Brentford stadium bookings vacated by London Irish be taken up by Ealing?
Secondly why are there breaks in the 6N?
If I remember correctly Irish had a bum deal financially at Brentford. The Covid break didn't help but Irish's attendances never took of as i thought they might. With Ealings meagre league attendances it would be a gamble. Maybe the rich owner would be happy to bankroll games there, if so I would be happy to see them in the Premiership. We badly need them and Coventry, not sure Bedford are interested in promotion.
Quote:Toulousian Firefighter
So Ealing lost to the 9th placed team in the prem? Doesn't that mean they would struggle to beat anyone if they joined the league?*
They would be playing 1st choice teams on a regular basis, much harder than prem cup games.
Newcastle struggle to get a win in the prem, but can win in the prem cup
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2025:03:15:14:18:36 by SaintsAsh.
Quote:Saint dolphQuote:lineoutballQuote:Saint dolph
This team with hutch or odendaal joining to fill the 13 spot I've missed above would not of lost today.
Aren't you guys 8th in the Premiership? ...out of 10. Ealing probably at least at that level.
When we have put out close to our first team at home we have lost once in the last year . If you think that ealing team beats us at home with our gun 15 out your mad. We are 8 and deserve to be there as we can't win away. We are the French of old .
Oops.
