Author Archives: Paul Clarke

While it goes without saying that Director of Rugby Mike Cudmore didn’t sign off after 12 years at the club in the manner in which he would have liked, he couldn’t have been prouder with the spirit that the team showed as they fought back against Rotherham Titans.

While the team eventually finished with a double bonus point from a 36-29 defeat having trailed against 29-3 at one stage, Jersey’s win over Bedford Blues meant that Ealing Trailfinders were relegated from the Greene King IPA Championship after only one season.

At one point during the season it appeared that relegation was inevitable, but with great determination and a record of three wins from their four penultimate matches it meant the team went into their final match off the bottom of the table for the first time in the season and still dreaming of survival.

The team also stayed true to the principles that Mike has instilled throughout his time; keeping the ball in hand and backing their principles to scores tries through Ed Siggery, Ronnie McLean (pictured), Andrew Henderson and Billy Robinson.

“It was a reflection of what I have witnessed all season from the team and management,” he said. “At the start of the season we were on the end of some large losses but all kept believing that not only that we would improve but that we could compete in the league.

“The spirit and desire were always there, we just left ourselves too much to do, but nearly made it.”

The match was an emotional one with Mike ending 12 years at Vallis Way and the crowd remained to salute a man who has led the club to five promotions.

At the final whistle and with their children Louise, Craig and Tom in attendance, Mike and his wife Stephanie were honoured by the club on the pitch and received a rousing round of applause from fans, players and staff.

“It was a great send off and to be given the honour of being made a vice president, receiving a club cap and having a trophy named after me for future best practice in coaching was very touching and much appreciated,” Mike said.

“We have progressed from level seven both on and off the pitch and in doing so achieved some records along the way and managed to retain a club ethos at the same time.

“I have worked with some great players at all levels, quality coaches and fantastic management and staff who have all been part of the journey. The club’s committee and sponsors vision were also a key in the journey as well.”

With Mike stepping down he feels he can look back over his time at the club with great pride.

When he walked through the gates for the first time in 2002 the team were playing in London Division Three North West and off the pitch things were vastly different from the first-rate facilities that everyone is used to now.

During his time at the club Mike ensured that Ealing not only won, but won with panache, while off the pitch he and John Lacey were instrumental in setting up the academy structure to ensure a pathway for young players into the senior squad.

With Ben Ward taking over as director of rugby he feels the club is in safe hands to continue their progress on and off the field.

“I am very proud as I can look back and know I always gave my all and made a difference,” he said. “The club is in a good place and I have been able to bring ex-players through into the management team such as Ben Ward, Keiran Power and Justin Smith.

“We now also have an academy which will produce players at all levels throughout the club in time to come. Back in 2002-03 we won a play-off game against Saffron Walden which started the climb up the leagues and now in 2013-14 we’ve played in a live game on Sky Sports, so I’ve got to be happy with that.”

Phil Chesters once again led the way in try scoring in his debut season in the Greene King IPA Championship.

The wing scored Ealing’s first ever five-pointer in the Championship on the opening day of the season against London Scottish at Allianz Park, and while it then took him till the end of November to add to his tally, he eventually found his form and ended the season with 13.

Three times this season he ran in a brace of tries; away to Jersey, away to Cornish Pirates and at home to Bedford Blues and in total he scored 12 times in the Championship. He also finished off a flowing team move against Leinster A in the British and Irish Cup.

Chesters’ fellow Salisburian and Supporters’ Player of the Year, Andrew Henderson was second in the scoring charts with 10 in the league and cup.

The 26-year-old found his best form after he was moved to fullback having previously played the majority of his rugby at Ealing as either centre or wing. He made history by scoring the first ever Ealing try televised live on Sky Sports, against Bedford Blues and fittingly he scored the third of four tries that the team scored in their final Championship match of the season against Rotherham Titans.

Also on the scoresheet against the Yorkshire side was hard-running centre Ronnie McLean who was third in the scoring stakes with five in the league and one in the cup.

The good news for Ealing Trailfinders fans is that all three players have committed to the club for next season.

Fly-half Ben Ward was the leading points-scorer with 96 points.

Ealing Trailfinders try scorers, 2013-14 (cup tries in brackets)
Phil Chesters – 12 (1)
Andrew Henderson 8 (2)
Ronnie McLean 5 (1)
Ed Siggery – 4 (1)
Tom Bedford – 2 (1)
Billy Robinson – 2 (1)
Morgan Thompson – 2
Tom Parker – 2
Chris Kinloch – 1 (1)
TJ Anderson – 1 (1)
Alex Bradley – 1
Adam Preocanin – 1
Josh Elliott – 1
Richard Townsend – 1
Penalty try – 1

Ealing Trailfinders were unable to avoid relegation from Greene King IPA Championship after promotion hopefuls Rotherham Titans showed their strength on the final day of the season.

Ed Siggery, Ronnie McLean, Andrew Henderson and Billy Robinson scored tries to secure both a four-try bonus and a losing bonus point, but with Jersey’s bonus-point win at Bedford Blues it meant that Mike Cudmore’s side returned to National 1 on his last match in charge.

However, it was a performance that epitomised the man as they refused to lie down against a very powerful Rotherham team that will now switch their focus to the promotion play-offs.

From kickoff Ealing didn’t hold back and Tom Bedford set the tone with a powerful run into the Rotherham defence that won Ealing the put in at a scrum. After three phases Rotherham were penalised and Ben Ward opened the scoring with a penalty.

Rotherham attacked through their Samoan number 8 Alfie To’oala, but after strong defence Ealing broke from their half through Ronnie McLean, Andrew Henderson and Phil Chesters to maintain the early pressure.

Eventually the visitor’s pressure paid off when fly-half Garry Law kicked them level just before the 20-minute mark. Soon after wing Curtis Wilson ghosted through the Ealing defence to stretch their lead with a try that Laws converted.

The Yorkshire-men continued to press hard and Ealing were grateful to Phil Chesters and Mat Evans who were the first to the ball after the Rotherham grubber kicks into the in-goal area.

McLean and Billy Robinson both made try-saving tackles as Rotherham powered forward, but their captain Charlie Mulchrone scored a classic scrum-half’s try and a minute later Wilson added his second after a slick move down their left wing to mean the visitors led 22-3 at the break.

Rotherham kept up the pressure early on and Chesters again a vital tackle as Wilson broke through. To’oala kept up his attacking intentions and their pack continued their hard work to close Ealing down quickly.

Then they opened the scoring for the second half when Jordan Davies completed a sweeping move following their own 22, but Ealing quickly responded when Siggery completed a sweeping move of their own.

Mulchrone added another when he finished off a counter-attack and after Ealing built some pressure after Rotherham gave away a succession of penalties, the visitors defence stood strong and held the hosts out.

Ealing came again and after good work by the forward Ward put McLean away to score the second try, with Ward adding the conversion. They continued to throw themselves into attack and Henderson scooted over for his eighth try of the season before Robinson touched down in the corner.

It wasn’t enough to hold off relegation, but it was a sign of the spirit that infused this team that they didn’t know when to lie down and that had allowed them to keep in contention to beat the drop until the very last.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson, Chris Kinloch, Ronnie McLean, Tom Bedford, Phil Chesters, Ben Ward, Morgan Thompson; Ryan Storer, Andrei Radoi, Conor Carey, Adam Preocanin, Gavin Curry, Mat Evans (captain), Edward Siggery, Sean O’Connell
Reserves
Richard Townsend, Steve Neville, Tim Brockett, Sam Hocking, TJ Anderson,
Tom Parker, Billy Robinson
Rotherham Titans
Sean Scanlon, Jamie Broadley, Jordan Davies, Jack Roberts, Curtis Wilson, Garry Law, Charlie Mulchrone (captain); Toby Williams, Jack Preece, Colin Quigley, Alex Rieder, Tom Holmes, Ben Morris, Ali Birch, Alfie To’oala.
Reserves
Johnny Matthews, Marshall Gadd, Mark Tampin, Robin Hislop, Joel Gill, Dallan Murphy, Juan Pablo Socino.

STORM Watches Man of the Match – Andrew Henderson
Referee – Dean Richards
Attendance – 842

Ealing Trailfinders Director of Rugby Mike Cudmore has made one change to the team for the visit of Rotherham Titans to Vallis Way on Saturday.

Ealing sit two points above Jersey at the bottom of the Greene King IPA Championship. Jersey travel to face Bedford Blues at Goldington Road and if Ealing match their result then they will ensure Championship rugby next season, but the team’s aim is to secure the win that would render Jersey’s result irrelevant.

In his final selection in 12 years at the club Cudmore has brought flanker Ed Siggery back into the side after the Welshman came off the bench against Plymouth Albion a week ago to score two tries, including the last-minute winner.

Siggery forms a back row with captain Mat Evans, who will retire from rugby at the end of the match and number 8 Sean O’Connell.

Elsewhere the team is the same as the one that returned victorious from Brickfields. Adam Preocanin started the scoring in Plymouth and he teams up in the engine room with Gavin Curry, who claimed the vital last-minute lineout catch that set up Siggery’s winning try against Albion.

Conor Carey, Andrei Radoi and Ryan Storer reunite in the front row having laid the foundation for the win over Albion with strong work in the scrum and around the field.

Morgan Thompson starts at scrum-half aiming to score for the third match in succession, following a drop-goal against Nottingham and a try against Albion. He will team up with his regular partner at fly-half, Ben Ward.

In the three-quarters wing Phil Chesters will be out to add to his 12 league tries this season, while Chris Kinloch starts on the opposite flank. Ronnie McLean and Tom Bedford are the centres, while Andrew Henderson begins at fullback.

Ealing Trailfinders v Rotherham Titans, Saturday 26 April, KO 15.00
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Chris Kinloch
13 Ronnie McLean
12 Tom Bedford
11 Phil Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Ryan Storer
2 Andrei Radoi
3 Conor Carey
4 Adam Preocanin
5 Gavin Curry
6 Mat Evans (Captain)
7 Edward Siggery
8 Sean O’Connell
Reserves
16 Richard Townsend
17 Steve Neville
18 Tim Brockett
19 Sam Hocking
20 TJ Anderson
21 Tom Parker
22 Billy Robinson

For Ealing Trailfinders captain Mat Evans the final whistle on Saturday will mark the end of his playing career, but over the 80 minutes he will be going all out to ensure that the team remains in the Greene King IPA Championship at the end of his and Director of Rugby Mike Cudmore’s final match for the club.

Ealing’s 26-21 win away to Plymouth Albion last time out meant that they lifted themselves off the bottom of the Championship for the first time this season and now sit two points above Jersey.

While Ealing host Rotherham Titans, who won 79-9 back in September and who are already assured of a play-off place, Jersey travel away to Bedford Blues. So long as Ealing match Jersey’s result they will guarantee Championship rugby, but Evans and the team are focusing on earning the win that will render Jersey’s result irrelevant.

“We’ve reached the stage of the season where each match is down to us,” Evans said. “We are not thinking of anything else other than going out against Rotherham and getting the win. If results go our way, then fine, but our only thought process is winning against Rotherham.

“Rotherham are a top side. They’ve been performing really well all year and have strength across the board, but we’ve identified where their strengths are and we have to nullify those.

“We’re a different team and I don’t think we’ll see a similar match (to the 79-9 loss). We are in a run of form and we will take that into the match on Saturday.”

Evans has been with Ealing since 2010 and featured in the sides that won promotion from National 2 South and then National 1. However, at the age of 32 and after a career that included a spells at Worcester Warriors and Cornish Pirates and featured call-ups to the Barbarians and England Counties, the man nicknamed ‘Horse’ has decided the time is right to step away from top-level rugby.

“I have a lot of fond memories and it has been a great period at the club,” he said. “I’ve been here four years and won promotions and if we remain in the Championship it will be a fantastic achievement and up with the best.

I’ve played some good rugby with a good bunch of boys, but this weekend my focus is on playing as well as possible against Rotherham and doing all I can do to get that vital win.”

With Mike Cudmore also ending his association with the club on Saturday, Evans believes that whatever the result and outcome on Saturday that the DoR can leave with his head held high.

“He has taken a club that was fairly small both infrastructure and on the playing side and grown that club into one of the top teams in the country,” he said. “A lot of that is down to his hard work and that has rubbed off onto the players.

“We understand what is required when we go to the pitch and he has been vital for Ealing. He will go down in history as one of the great coaches in Ealing rugby.”

If one thing showed the collective desire of the Ealing Trailfinders players to avoid relegation from the Greene King IPA Championship; it was the 14-man driving maul at the end of their match against Plymouth Albion on Saturday.

The hosts led 21-19, but with a last minute penalty and a final chance to secure the win and bonus point Ben Ward kicked to the corner. Andrei Radoi found Gavin Curry with the lineout and very slowly the pack began to rumble towards the Albion line.

When it started to slow down first Ward and his half-back partner Morgan Thompson joined in and then centres Tom Bedford and Ronnie Dents. By the time fullback Andrew Henderson and wing Chris Kinloch packed down the momentum was unstoppable and it was Ed Siggery who touched down to secure with win and lift the team off the bottom of the table for the first time this season.

“I think it had been building for a while and we turned down a few chances to win with the three,” Siggery said. “We went to the corner and I was covering the back of the tail and kept feeling blokes go past me.

“It turned out it was a 14-man maul, but until I scored it I didn’t realise. So it was a brilliant team effort.”

It was a fitting end to a match in which Ealing’s forwards had taken an iron-grip on proceedings and refused to let go. Adam Preocanin started the scoring early on from the first rolling maul of the day and Siggery came off the bench early on to score his first of the match late in the first half.

The pack were also in dominant form and were able to keep Albion on the backfoot for the whole 80 minutes. In fact it was when Albion were penalised for collapsing a late scrum that Ealing were able to make their final effort on the Plymouth line.

“Our scrums were dominant and our driving maul was exceptional,” Siggery added. “The forwards took them on up front and took the game to them and put us in good stead. The backs have done well all season, so it was good to see the forwards put in a shift today.”

For Siggery the match marked a return to form after he missed the matches against Jersey and Bristol Rugby. He came off the bench for the final 20 minutes in the win over Nottingham, but played for over an hour at Brickfields.

“I was puffing a lot more,” he said. “I had 20 minutes last week and that got the cobwebs out and I felt ok today. It was a fast-paced game and nice hot weather to play in. I felt fine, but just happy to get the win.”

Ealing Trailfinders waited until the very last till they claimed a bonus point-win that takes them off the bottom of the Greene King IPA Championship for the first time this season.

Ed Siggery scored a last minute pushover try, ably assisted by 13 of his team mates and after the forwards collected the restart the ball was kicked to the stands to guarantee the five points and move the team two points ahead of Jersey.

Next up for Ealing is their final match of the season, at home to Rotherham next Saturday. Jersey travel to Bedford Blues.

From kickoff Albion were quickly on the attack and while they probed after gaining ground by kicking a penalty to touch eventually Adam Preocanin was able to clean up the early danger.

Ealing immediately went on the attack themselves when Andrew Henderson broke the line and when the ball came back Ben Ward picked out Phil Chesters with a cross-kick, but the wing was unable to take the ball cleanly.

Soon after though Ealing took the lead when Sean O’Connell took a lineout catch and the pack drove Preocanin over for the opening try that Ward converted. They tried the same soon after, but on the second time Albion’s defence held firm.

The hosts began to find their feet and gathered in confidence as they built their phases and moved the ball quickly. Eventually fullback Chris Elder found space down Ealing’s right to run in behind the posts and with Declan Cusack’s conversion the scores were level.

Their patient approach paid off again 10 minutes later. Eoghan Grace broke Ealing’s defence and with quick ball centre Toby Howley-Berridge chipped over the defence and collected his kick for a try that Cusack converted.

Ealing went back on the attack with their pack and after keeping Albion pinned in their own 22 with a series of pick and go drives, eventually substitute Siggery found a gap to hold off the Plymouth defence and dive over the line.

After the break Siggery led an early charge, carrying Sean-Michael Stephen and after a number of drives from the forwards earned penalties, scrumhalf Morgan Thompson took a quick tap and forced his way over the line from close range, with Ward adding the conversion.

The forwards continued to be the favoured option and Sean O’Connell was unlucky to be whistled back as he broke away as two balls were on the pitch.

The lead swung back Albion’s way when Jamie Davies darted through a gap and squeezed over, with Cusack make three conversions from three.

Chesters nearly broke away and Chris Kinloch and Henderson probed for gaps, while Siggery and O’Connell kept up their sterling work in attack.

The match continued that way until late in the match when Albion gave away a penalty, Ward kicked to the corner, Andrei Radoi hit Gavin Curry and everyone drove Siggery for his second and a vital, vital winner.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson, Chris Kinloch, Ronnie McLean, Tom Bedford, Phil Chesters, Ben Ward, Morgan Thompson; Ryan Storer, Andrei Radoi, Conor Carey, Adam Preocanin, Gavin Curry, Mat Evans (captain), Alex Bradley, Sean O’Connell
Reserves
Richard Townsend, Steve Neville, Tim Brockett, Sam Hocking, Ed Siggery,
Tom Parker, Billy Robinson
Plymouth Albion
Chris Elder, Jack Arnott, Ben Woods, Toby Howley-Berridge, Lewis Warner, Declan Cusack, Paul Rowley, David Morton, Sam Matavesi, Matt Shields, Brett Beukeboom, Ien Ascroft-Leigh, Sean-Michael Stephen (captain), Eoghan Grace, Gareth Evans (captain)
Reserves
Jared Saunders, Tom Harrison, Lloyd Fairbrother, Jamie Davies, James Shanahan, Ruairi Cushion, Cameron Setter

Referee – Steve Lee
Attendance – 1,555

Ealing Trailfinders director of rugby Mike Cudmore has made one change to the team for the Greene King IPA Championship fixture away to Plymouth Albion on Saturday.

Conor Carey comes into the side as tight-head prop and will pack down alongside hooker Andrei Radoi and loose-head prop Ryan Storer.

It means that Adam Preocanin and Gavin Curry will start in the engine room, while in the back row Sean O’Connell continues as number 8, between captain Mat Evans and Alex Bradley.

A week ago Ealing defeated Nottingham 37-35 at home to earn a four-try bonus point and move within three points of Jersey at the bottom of the table. A similar level of performance will be needed against a well-established Championship side that are targeting two wins from their final two matches of the season.

Wing Phil Chesters will be out to continue his impressive try-scoring run that has garnered him 12 tries in the league and means he sits fourth in the try-scoring charts, two behind Albion’s Tom Bowen.

Not far behind him is his fellow Salisbury native, fullback Andrew Henderson, who has run in seven tries, including two against Nottingham and centre Ronnie McLean, who scored his fourth of the league season earlier in the same match.

All three will line up in a familiar backline, along with centre Tom Bedford, wing Chris Kinloch and halfbacks Ben Ward and Morgan Thompson, both of whom dropped vital goals against Nottingham.

Ealing Trailfinders v Plymouth Albion, Saturday 19 April, KO 15.00
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Chris Kinloch
13 Ronnie Mclean
12 Tom Bedford
11 Phil Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Ryan Storer
2 Andrei Radoi
3 Conor Carey
4 Adam Preocanin
5 Gavin Curry
6 Matt Evans
7 Alex Bradley
8 Sean O Connell
Reserves
16 Richard Townsend
17 Steve Neville
18 Tim Brockett
19 Sam Hocking
20 Ed Siggery
21 Tom Parker
22 Billy Robinson