Author Archives: Paul Clarke

Andrew Henderson and Ronnie McLean will have the chance to repeat their try-scoring feats against Moseley after they were named in the team for Saturday’s Greene King IPA Championship match.

Fullback Henderson and centre McLean grabbed a try apiece in the 21-18 British and Irish Cup victory in December and Ben Ward, who scored the other 11 points, is also given a starting place for the match at Billesley Common.

All three were in the team that wrapped up Ealing’s British and Irish Cup participation with a hard-fought 14-13 loss at home to Leinster ‘A’ last time out and director of rugby Mike Cudmore has made minimal changes to the team that started at Vallis Way last Friday.

Henderson will be joined in the back-three by Phil Chesters, who rounded off the match against Leinster ‘A’ by touching down to cap a free-flowing counter-attack. Owen Bruynseels meanwhile returns on the opposite wing.

In other changes in the backline, McLean will team up with Tom Bedford in the centres, while Morgan Thompson comes into the team at scrum-half.

Upfront Conor Carey is the only change and the Ulsterman will complete the front row alongside hooker Andrei Radoi and fellow prop Ryan Storer.

Ealing Trailfinders v Moseley, Saturday 25 January, KO 15.00
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Owen Bruynseels
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 Steve Pape
5 Adam Preocanin (captain)
6 Matt Evans
7 Ed Siggery
8 Sean O’ Connell
Reserves
16 Sam Wilkes
17 Steve Neville
18 Richard Palframan
19 Dan Collier
20 TJ Anderson
21 Stuart Commins
22 Sam Wardingley

Ealing Trailfinders director of rugby Mike Cudmore has called on his players to maintain their focus ahead of their Greene King IPA Championship clash against Moseley on Saturday.

Ealing travel to Billingsley Common for the 15.00 kickoff in positive mood having enjoyed an upswing in form since the team from south Birmingham visited Vallis Way in November, but Cudmore realises there is still room for further improvement.

“There is no doubt that the team has developed a lot since we lost 15-6 to Moseley in November and that has been reflected in us winning twice in the league and pushing teams such as Bristol and Leinster ‘A’ hard for 80 minutes since then,” Cudmore said.

“Our attention to detail and errors at times are the difference between winning and losing but also crucial bonus points. We are improving constantly and all are aware of the importance of the games coming up. We have worked hard this week in training and all looking forward to the challenge that this week’s fixture brings.”

This weekend’s match will be the third time that Ealing have taken on Kevin Maggs’ team this season. As well as their win at Vallis Way in the league, Moseley won at home in the British and Irish Cup, while Trailfinders were victorious at home in the return Cup fixture.

Moseley are currently in ninth place on 19 points, 10 ahead of Cudmore’s men and last time out they ran in five-tries in a 31-17 win over Cross Keys in the B&I Cup.

“The squad has now greater depth than before due to returning players from injury and loan and the new signings we made pre-Christmas,” Cudmore said. “Our players have also adapted to what exactly is needed to compete in this division, so we will go there in good heart.”

Ronnie McLean was on the score-sheet last time the two sides met

Ealing Trailfinders return to action in the Greene King IPA Championship this Saturday, when they travel to Moseley with the match at Billesley Common kicking off at 15.00.

With Mike Cudmore’s team keen to maintain their improved form of late the Club are hoping that a large contingent of supporters follows the team up the M40 to south Birmingham.

The team have face Moseley three times this season, once in the league and twice in the British and Irish Cup and have won once and lost twice, so are keen to square the ledger this weekend.

If there are enough numbers the Club will put on a supporters coach but we need to know by Wednesday afternoon if there are sufficient numbers, so please email sue@ealingrugby.co.uk as soon as possible.

Centre Ronnie McLean was one of two try-scorers last time Ealing Trailfinders played Moseley

Ealing Trailfinders wing Sam Wardingley has been able to experience his side’s improvement first hand having been involved in both British and Irish Cup matches against Leinster ‘A’ and he wants to keep that improvement going for the rest of the season.

In the first match in October Wardingley wore the number 14 jersey when captain for the day TJ Anderson scored Ealing’s only points in a 49-8 loss at Donnybrook, one of Dublin’s cult rugby venues.

The 25-year-old wore the same number shirt last Friday as Trailfinders pushed the cup holders all the way and became the first team to deny them a bonus point in this season’s competition.

“Coming into the changing room after the game there was a positive feeling there among the lads,” he said. “Compared to the performance when we went over to their place it was a very big change.

“We’ve come a lot; the fact we pushed the B and I Cup winners from the previous year to a one point win is a sign of how far we’ve come. You realise we’ve come a long compared to earlier in the season, but we should really be putting those games away.”

A feature of the match was Ealing’s determined defence; after Leinster ‘A’ fullback Darren Hudson opened the scoring after two minutes, the Ealing defence had to hold out for the next 15 minutes as the Irish forwards tried to power their way through from driving mauls, before they went back to kicking any points on offer.

It was the second time in 2014 that the Ealing forward pack has stood up to barrage from their opposite numbers and held them out, having done the same against Nottingham and according to Wardingley it is another sign of the team’s growth.

“We’re not in that state of mind when teams score and we think we’re in for a drubbing,” he added. “Those times are a long way behind us, right at the start of the season. If that happens (conceding early points) we know why it’s happened and we can identify what to do. After that our defence was excellent for the rest of the game and that showed by them not crossing the line again in the game.

“I think that shoes how far the pack has come this season. When a team goes at you and goes at you and gets nothing from it, it is a psychological boost.”

Ealing return to action in the Greene King IPA Championship away to Moseley on Saturday. They have already met them three times this season, once in the league and twice in the Cup and have won one and lost two.

With only 11 matches remaining Wardingley is well aware that they now need to target wins in every one of those matches.

“If you look at our performances since we picked up our first points against Jersey, they’ve all been really strong performances,” he said.

“Each game we go in and expect to win and we have to do that because it is a matter of survival. If we pick up one or two losing bonus points, that’s great, but we are out for the full four or five.”

Ealing Trailfinders put in an excellent performance and pushed reigning British and Irish Cup holders Leinster A hard throughout the match to win their first losing bonus point of the season.

Ben Ward kicked two penalties and then converted Phil Chesters’ try with the final kick off the match as the Dubliners finished the pool unbeaten.

Leinster started with a bang and after Ealing stopped a number of their attacks, fullback Darren Hudson swooped on a loose ball to open the scoring.

The Dubliners continued on the attack, but stout Ealing defence held them out and when they threw a crooked line-out, Ward was able to clear the danger.

Ealing’s defence continued to hold out Leinster’s attack and after a strong carry from Sean O’Connell and good clearing work at the ruck by Tom Wheatcroft a penalty was awarded and Ward kicked Ealing’s first points of the night.

Leinster fly-half Cathal Marsh landed a penalty of his own, but Ealing went back on the attack and while they were unable to find a way through the Leinster defence, Ward was able to add his second penalty to close the gap to two points.

Ealing came out strongly after half-time, but after failing to add to their tally Leinster went on the offensive. Wing Sam Coughlan-Murray fumbled a pass with the try-line begging and from the scrum Ealing cleared and took the play back in Leinster’s half.

The home scrum caused Leinster’s pack in all manner of problems, but a well-drilled Leinster defence and a slippery ball meant that attacking positions weren’t always capitalised upon.

However, Ealing’s defence stood tall when Leinster’s backs had the chance to stretch their legs, notably Andrew Henderson, who put in a mighty tackle to stop his opposite number Hudson from adding a second try.

Ronnie McLean also put in a try-stopping tackle, but eventually Leinster added to their tally when Marsh kicked two penalties. Ealing didn’t relent and ended on a high when Henderson took Ward’s chip-kick and nudged the ball to the corner where Chesters slid in to score, with Ward’s conversion closing the score to one point.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson, Sam Wardingley, Ronnie McLean, Tom Wheatcroft, Phil Chesters, Ben Ward, Stuart Commins; Ryan Storer, Andrei Radoi, Kyle Sinckler, Steve Pape, Adam Preocanin (captain), Matt Evans, Ed Siggery, Sean O’Connell
Reserves
Sam Wilkes, Steve Neville, Conor Carey, George Merrick, TJ Anderson, Tom Parker, Chris Kinloch
Leinster ‘A’
Darren Hudson, Sam Coghlan Murray, Colm O’Shea, Noel Reid, Andy Boyle, Cathal Marsh, John Cooney, Ed Byrne, James Tracy, Tadhg Furlong, Quinn Roux, Tom Denton, Ben Marshall, Dominic Ryan (captain), Jack Conan,
Reserves: Peter Dooley, Bryan Byrne, Josh Van Der Flier, Leo Auva’a, Luke McGrath, Steve Crosbie, Jordan Coghlan

STORM Watches Man of the match – Andrei Radoi
Referee – Craig Evans (WRU)
Attendance – 598

Ealing Trailfinders Director of Rugby Mike Cudmore has made 10 changes to the side for the British and Irish Cup match against Leinster ‘A’ on Friday.

Scrum-half Stuart Commins, centre Tom Wheatcroft, wing Sam Wardingley (left) and fullback Andrew Henderson keep their places in the backline, while Romanian international hooker Andrei Radoi is the only forward retained from the side that lost 30-10 to Cross Keys last time out.

Commins will link up with Ben Ward at half-back and Wheatcroft will form a centre pairing with Ronnie McLean, who scored two tries on his last appearance.

Henderson and Wardingley meanwhile will be joined in the back three by Phil Chesters, who also managed to get on the scoresheet against Nottingham two weeks ago.

Adam Preocanin (right) is back to captain the side from second-row; he will pack down alongside Steve Pape, while Matt Evans, Ed Siggery and Sean O’Connell make up the back-row.

In the front-row Radoi will be joined by props Ryan Storer and the dual-registered Kyle Sinkler.

Ealing Trailfinders v Leinster A, Friday 17 January, KO 19.45
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Sam Wardingley
13 Ronnie McLean
12 Tom Wheatcroft
11 Phil Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Stuart Commins
1 Ryan Storer
2 Andrei Radoi
3 Kyle Sinkler
4 Stephen Pape
5 Adam Preocanin (Captain)
6 Matt Evans
7 Ed Siggery
8 Sean O’Connell
Reserves
16 Samuel Wilkes
17 Steve Neville
18 Conor Carey
19 George Merrick
20 TJ Anderson
21 Tom Parker
22 Chris Kinloch

Ealing Trailfinders are delighted to announce that they have signed a sponsorship deal with the nearby University of West London.

ETRFC captain Adam Preocanin meets UWL’s director for external affairs David Lane

As part of the agreement Ealing Trailfinders players will help coach the UWL rugby team and provide ticket deals for students at the University to come and watch Ealing in action in the Greene King IPA Championship and the British and Irish Cup.

Professor Peter John, Vice-Chancellor of the University of West London said; “We are delighted to support Ealing Trailfinders as they compete in the Greene King IPA Championship.

“This partnership provides students with a unique opportunity to not only support our local rugby team, but also the wider community in Ealing and I am sure the UWL rugby team will benefit hugely from their expertise.”

Player Sponsorship

UWL will also sponsor three Ealing-born players; Number 8 Sean O’Connell, fly-half Will Magie and prop forward Camilo Parilli Ocampo.

Ealing Trailfinders’ next home match is against British and Irish Cup holders Leinster A on Friday, 17 January.

“It’s great to hear that UWL and Ealing Trailfinders have made this connection; for Ealing to stretch out and further their coaching ties and for UWL to continue their hard work supporting local sporting teams,” Ealing Trailfinders captain Adam Preocanin said.

“Hopefully both will achieve their goals and continue to strengthen their relationship further over the years.”

Joint activities

The University will receive match-day sponsorship on pitch-side boards and in the match-day programme, while there will be further joint activities between Ealing Trailfinders and UWL over the remainder of the season.

The University of West London was voted Best Modern University in London by The Guardian in 2013 and is situated on St Mary’s Road in South Ealing, two miles from Ealing Trailfinders’ home at Vallis Way.

About UWL

The University of West London is the leading modern university in London for undergraduate employability. 94% of their graduates are in employment within six months of graduating*. The Guardian’s university guide names UWL as the best modern university in London.

For more information, visit www.uwl.ac.uk or their social media pages: twitter.com/uniwestlondon and facebook.com/UniversityWestLondon

* These are the latest figures according to Employment Performance Indicators (EPI) released by the Higher Education Statistics Agency HESA in 2013.

As someone with Irish parents this Friday’s British and Irish Cup clash against Leinster ‘A’ holds great significance for Ealing Trailfinders’ Sean O’Connell.

The number 8 has been capped for Ireland’s U19 team and also featured for the Irish Exiles; as such he knows exactly how big a test he and his teammates face under the lights at Vallis Way against a side that began their defence of the B & I Cup with a 49-8 win over Ealing at Donnybrook in October.

“I think typically they like to move the ball,” he said. “I’ve played them a few times at U20 level and against Leinster A and typically they look to move the ball quickly and go through the phases, but they do it really quickly and still keep their organisation.

Defensive shape

“From our point of view defensively we will have to be really organised and look to keep our defensive shape at all times.”

Leinster have risen to the top of European rugby over the last six years and in that period their senior side have won the Heineken Cup three times and last year they claimed the Amlin Challenge Cup and the Rabo Direct Pro 12 League title.

Many of the stars of their Heineken Cup wins have come through the A side and they have a system of producing players that will mean they are likely to be at the top of the European game for some time to come.

“They have huge strength in depth and I think if you look at the Irish U20 side the majority of the players that make up the squad come from Leinster,” O’Connell added. “They have some huge rugby schools as well so in terms of their academy they are taking the best from those schools and the competition is just huge and I think that is what drives them.”

Late addition

O’Connell was a late addition to the Ealing squad after he moved from London Irish in November. His arrival coincided with an upturn in Ealing’s form and he played in the club’s two Greene King IPA Championship victories this season, away to Jersey and Nottingham.

As an Ealing boy the 21-year-old knows the club and its personnel well, and having enjoyed a taste of success at the club wants to keep that form going and help Ealing off the bottom of the table.

“I’m really enjoying it and we have started to hit a bit of form,” he said. “We’re now going away to games and looking to pick up points and with that mindset it is really encouraging to be part of that.

“I think it is likely to be really tense these next few weeks we’ve a few big games, we’ve got Jersey and Nottingham to come at home and Moseley away, so for us those are huge games and we’re really go to enjoy those.”