Author Archives: Paul Clarke

Tom Bedford returns to the Ealing Trailfinders line-up for the match against Jersey in the Greene King IPA Championship on Friday hoping to repeat his antics from the match in the Channel Islands.

The hard-running centre scored the opening try in Ealing’s first victory of the season, a 28-18 bonus-point win, but sat out the most recent match, at home to Bedford Blues last Saturday.

On Friday he will form a centre combination alongside dual-registered Harry Sloane, who recently made a try-scoring debut for Harlequins in the Aviva Premiership.

Wing Phil Chesters with two and fullback Andrew Henderson were the two other try-scorers at St Peters in November and they make up two-thirds of the back-three, along with Chris Kinloch.

Morgan Thompson and Ben Ward form the half-back pairing, while in the front row there is a return for hooker Andrei Radoi following the completion of the Rugby World Cup 2015 qualification programme.

The Romanian will pack down between props Ryan Storer and Conor Carey, while Steve Pape and Gavin Curry continue in the engine room for the second consecutive week.

Captain Mat Evans is back at number eight after missing the two most recent matches and he is joined in the back row by flankers Alex Bradley and Adam Preocanin.

Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey, Friday 21 March, KO 19.45
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Chris Kinloch
13 Harry Sloane
12 Tom Bedford
11 Philip Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Ryan Storer
2 Andrei Radoi
3 Conor Carey
4 Steve Pape
5 Gavin Curry
6 Adam Preocanin
7 Alex Bradley
8 Matt Evans (captain)
Reserves
16 Richard Townsend
17 Steve Neville
18 Tim Brockett
19 George Merrick
20 TJ Anderson
21 Tom Parker
22 Billy Robinson

Having fought back to full fitness after a niggling back injury, flanker Alex Bradley is now aiming to help Ealing Trailfinders earn their first home win of the season in the Greene King IPA Championship.

Apart for a solitary victory over Moseley in the British and Irish Cup, Ealing’s fans have not been able to cheer a domestic victory this year.

Jersey’s visit to W13 on Friday is the latest chance to end that run and repeat their opening win of the season when the side fought back to land a bonus-point 28-18 in November.

Bradley was on the bench that day and knows how much of a lift a victory would give the team as they continue their fight to avoid relegation and put the most recent loss to Bedford Blues behind them.

“It was a great buzz for everyone to get that first ‘W’ on the board and it has been the same buzz this week in training and hopefully will happily be the same result over here,” he said.

“We were a little bit deflated after the Bedford Blues game and we’ve been trying to build everyone up for this week. We all know what we did wrong last week, we’ve put it behind us and we’re ready to go out there and give it a really good go this weekend.

“We’re going into this game knowing we need the win and we’re going to go out there and give it everything and see what happens at the end of the day.”

Prior to picking up his injury the 20-year-old Bradley had firmly established himself in the first-team squad.

However, the first-year economics student at Kingston University came on as substitute for the final 15 minutes of the match against Bedford and feels that with the firmer pitches he can do his part for the team in front of what is sure to be a bumper crowd against a team that Ealing know well.

“I was last involved in January when we played Cross Keys, apart from last week when I came off the bench,” he said. “I’ve had a few injuries since then so I’m looking forward to being back involved this weekend.

“Hopefully it will be a great atmosphere down here at Vallis Way. I haven’t had a lot of opportunities to get out in front of the home crowd, so I’m really looking forward to it.”

Phil Chesters was left to look back on a bitter-sweet match against Bedford Blues on Saturday as despite scoring his ninth and 10th tries of the Greene King IPA Championship season, they weren’t enough to help Ealing Trailfinders to a vital home victory against Bedford Blues.

The brace takes the flying wing up to 10 league tries for the season, but the result, coupled with Jersey’s win away to Plymouth Albion left Ealing with a 12-point gap to their rivals from the Channel Islands at the bottom of the Championship with five matches till the end of the season.

Jersey are Ealing’s next opponents this coming Friday, 21 March.

“It was all about the club, these two weeks,” Chesters said. “Obviously it was nice to get on the score-sheet, but at the end of the day it was all about the four or five points and unfortunately we didn’t quite get there.

“The guys are very disappointed. It was a massive two weeks for the club and this was the first game in those two weeks. We were in it for the first 60-70 minutes, but unfortunately didn’t come away with a result.”

After Bedford grabbed two early tries Mike Cudmore’s side hit back with three of their own with Chesters’ efforts sandwiching one from TJ Anderson.

However, after their captain had put Bedford back in front with two penalties, the visitors used the elements to keep Ealing pinned back in their own half for most of the half, though it wasn’t until after the hour-mark that they finally gained the upper hand on the scoresheet.

“When you were out there on the field there was quite a strong wind, which was difficult to play into,” Chesters said. “We were trying to run a lot and play and force the penalties, but we weren’t quite dynamic enough in our play and we were getting hit back a bit.

“To be fair to Bedford they had a strong defence around the midfield, so they put pressure on us and forced errors.”

Ealing Trailfinders fought out an exciting, free-flowing match, but were unable to secure victory against a Bedford Blues side who enjoyed running the ball as much as their hosts.

With the sun overhead and only a slight wind the conditions were perfect for two teams that like to move the ball wide.

Ealing nearly took the lead from their first attack. Tom Wheatcroft broke the defence, off-loaded to hooker Max Crumpton, but he was unable to find the on-rushing Andrew Henderson, who would have a clear run home.

Bedford then took the game to Ealing and while fly-half Jake Sharp and fullback Ben Ransom raced clear, prop Darren Fearn knocked on with the line at his mercy.

Fearn made amends soon after. He broke through Ealing’s defence, offloaded to his fellow prop Phil Boulton and while he was stopped by Wheatcroft, after quick recycling Nick Fenton-Wells popped up on Sharp’s shoulder to collect a pop pass and dive over.

Bedford captain James Pritchard nearly added a second try after a kick ahead, but Chris Kinloch held off his run and forced the Canadian international to knock on in-goal.

They scored their second soon after when flanker Gregor Gillanders swooped on a loose ball as the visitors enjoyed a period of dominance.

Ealing hit back swiftly in time-honoured fashion when Ben Ward chipped over the defence to the on-rushing Phil Chesters who took the ball cleanly and touched down in the corner.

Minutes later the side were level. From a penalty to the corner Steve Pape took the catch and when the ball went wide TJ Anderson had little problem crashing over for a try that Ward converted.

Ealing’s scoring didn’t end there and Chesters scored his 10th league try of the season from another Ward kick, this time a clever grubber off his left peg that left the Bedford defence floundering after an attack appeared to be on the point of breaking down.

Bedford retook the lead through two Pritchard penalties to go in 18-17 ahead half-time.

After the break Ward put the hosts back in front with a simple penalty, but the visitors then set up camp in Ealing’s half using the wind to pin their hosts back in their 22.

Darryl Veenendaal and Pat Tapley almost broke through before Chesters got back to intercept the try-scoring pass, but despite dogged defence Tapley found space to score Bedford’s third.

Ward closed the deficit to two points before Billy Robinson picked a strong line off Adam Preocanin, but he was held up over the line and then Chesters was then unable to reach another Ward cross-kick after more Ealing pressure.

Three minutes from time Bedford ran in their fourth and fifth try through substitute Mark Atkinson that left Ealing without even a bonus point for their efforts.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson, Chris Kinloch, Ronnie McLean, Tom Wheatcroft, Phil Chesters,
Ben Ward, Morgan Thompson; Ryan Storer, Max Crumpton, Conor Carey, Steve Pape, Gavin Curry, Adam Preocanin, Ed Siggery, TJ Anderson (Captain)
Reserves
Richard Townsend, Steve Neville, Tim Brockett, Dan Collier, Alex Bradley, Tom Parker, Billy Robinson
Bedford Blues
Ben Ransom, Patrick Tapley, Mike Le Bourgeois, Ollie Dodge, James Pritchard (captain), Jake Sharp, Darryl Veenendaal; Darren Fearn, Charlie Clare, Phil Boulton,
Mike Howard, Harry Wells, Gregor Gillanders, Darren Fox, Nick Fenton-Wells
Reserves
TJ Harris, Nick Auterac, Ben Cooper, Paul Tupai, Don Barrell, Harry Peck, Mark Atkinson

Man of the Match – Phil Chesters
Attendance – 528
Referee – John Meredith

Andrew Henderson and Morgan Thompson will be out to repeat their try-scoring heroics against Bedford Blues in the Greene King IPA Championship on Saturday.

The pair were Ealing’s try-scorers earlier in the season at Goldington Road, when Bedford fought back from trailing at half-time to win 31-14. It meant they had the distinction of becoming the first Ealing players to score ties in front of the Sky Sports cameras, who were broadcasting the match.

Henderson was also on the scoresheet against a week ago against London Scottish and he will again start at fullback. He is joined in the back-three by Chris Kinloch by Ealing’s leading try-scorer Phil Chesters, who has scored eight in the league.

Thompson will link-up with Ben Ward in the half-backs, while Tom Wheatcroft holds onto his place in the centres, alongside Ronnie McLean.

In the pack TJ Anderson continues as captain in a back-row with Ed Siggery and Adam Preocanin. Gavin Curry returns to the engine room with Steve Pape, while Ryan Storer, Max Crumpton and Conor Carey make up the front row.

Before and after that match there will be all the Six Nations matches shown on the big screen. England kick-off against Italy in Rome at 12.30 and will hope to create some eternal memories in the eternal city.

Then after Ealing’s match, Ireland take on France in Paris, aiming to claim their second Six Nations title of the professional era to send Brian O’Driscoll off into international retirement in fitting style.

There will be bacon sandwiches served from 11.00 and an all day barbecue to keep the hunger pangs under control, while the bar will be open and ready for action from the late morning on.

Ealing Trailfinders v Bedford Blues, Saturday 15 March, KO 15.00
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Chris Kinloch
13 Ronnie McLean
12 Tom Wheatcroft
11 Phil Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Ryan Storer
2 Max Crumpton
3 Conor Carey
4 Steve Pape
5 Gavin Curry
6 Adam Preocanin
7 Ed Siggery
8 TJ Anderson (Captain)
Reserves
16 Richard Townsend
17 Steve Neville
18 Tim Brockett
19 Dan Collier
20 Alex Bradley
21 Tom Parker
22 Billy Robinson

It has taken Gavin Curry a while to hit peak fitness, but now that he is nearing his fighting best, he is ready to help Ealing Trailfinders hit their stride in the Greene King IPA Championship for the last few weeks of the season, starting with Bedford Blues at home on Saturday.

The big second row has struggled this season with a number of injuries; abdominal, Achilles and groin, but he enjoyed 35 minutes off the bench in the second half against London Scottish and hopes to keep up that run for the last two months of the season.

“It wasn’t too bad,” he said. “I haven’t played at the sort of standard for a while, so I was blowing a bit when I came off the pitch, but it is just a case of getting used to it, so I should be ok from now on.

“You are in the game for a few seconds doing something and then you are out of the game for a few seconds trying to get your breath back. You go in and out like that.”

His appearance at the Athletic Ground was the 31-year-old’s first appearance since he came on in the second half in the 18-18 draw away to Cornish Pirates in late January.

The performance against the Exiles was in stark contrast to the draw at the Mennaye Field and despite an early try from Andrew Henderson and a later effort from the returning Billy Robinson, Scottish were in full control as they ran in six tries themselves.

“We’re disappointed, not with the loss, but with how we lost,” Curry said. “We didn’t really perform and apply what we’ve been doing in practice. The set-piece didn’t really work and we’ve improved a lot since the beginning of the season with the set-piece, but didn’t really keep that up from previous performances.”

Running Rugby

When the teams met back in October in front of the Sky Sports television cameras it was a fiercely contested fixture in which Henderson and Morgan Thompson scored first half tries. After trailing 14-12 at half-time, Bedford then used the slope and wind to their advantage to win 31-14.

Both teams have well-founded reputations for liking to move the ball wide and with the pitches starting to firm up, the match gives the Ealing players the chance to get the loss to London Scots out of the system as soon as possible.

“It was pretty disappointing to be honest, but this week we want to get back on track,” Curry added. “Everyone is up for this weekend and it is a must win. I don’t think anyone is not going to bring a lot of intensity.

“Bedford and Ealing like to play open, running rugby so it will be quite a fast game on Saturday. We prefer that to playing on the boggy pitches we’ve had, so I think we’ll be a bit more comfortable come this week and use the style of play we want to apply. It will be a big game for all of us.”

Before and after that match there will be all the Six Nations matches shown on the big screen. England kick-off against Italy in Rome at 12.30 and will hope to create some eternal memories in the eternal city.

Then after Ealing’s match, Ireland take on France in Paris, aiming to claim their second Six Nations title of the professional era to send Brian O’Driscoll off into international retirement in fitting style.

There will be bacon sandwiches served from 11.00 and an all day barbecue to keep the hunger pangs under control, while the bar will be open and ready for action from the late morning on.