Author Archives: Paul Clarke

Tom Bedford and Tom Parker return to the starting line-up for Ealing Trailfinders’ match away to Jersey in the Greene King IPA Championship on Saturday.

Bedford will make up a centre pairing with Ronnie McLean, while Parker starts at scrum-half, alongside fly-half Ben Ward.

Former Jersey player Andrew Henderson, who scored nine tries in 30 appearances for the Channel Islanders, continues at fullback and will make up a back-three with wings Phil Chesters and Chris Kinloch, who scored against London Scottish last time out.

There are three changes to the pack where props Ryan Storer and Conor Carey return to the starting XV, with last week’s starting pair Steve Neville and Tim Brockett covering off the bench.

Thomas ‘TJ’ Anderson is also back in the starting side and the Irishman will pack down in the back-row alongside Ed Siggery and last week’s STORM Watches man of the match, Sean O’Connell.

Ealing Trailfinders v Jersey, 30 November, 14.35 KO
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Chris Kinloch
13 Ronnie Mclean-Dents
12 Tom Bedford
11 Phil Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Tom Parker
1 Ryan Storer
2 Sam Wilkes
3 Conor Carey
4 Adam Preocanin (Captain)
5 Steve Pape
6 Ed Siggery
7 TJ Anderson
8 Sean O’Connell
Reserves
16 Richard Townsend
17 Steve Neville
18 Tim Brockett
19 Alex Bradley
20 Matt Evans
21 Morgan Thompson
22 Tom Wheatcroft

Tom Parker starts against Jersey after coming off the bench for the last two matches

Andrew Henderson is the one Ealing Trailfinders player who will be forgiven for heading for the home dressing room, rather than the away one when Mike Cudmore’s side take on Jersey in the Greene King IPA Championship on Saturday.

The fullback spent a year at St Peters in the 2010-11 season before he left for Barking and then a year later arrived at Vallis Way.

The match is vital for both sides who occupy 11th and 12th place in the table and a repeat of Ealing’s 26-15 victory the last time they played Ben Harvey’s side would be more than welcome, but Henderson is aware that Jersey’s quality means that Ealing will need to be at their best if they are to match that outcome.

“Ben and his back room team have been very successful since I left the island and for them to get where they have, much like Ealing is very impressive,” he said.

“I think judging on their league position last year it is credit to the Championship as a league because the island side have a lot of good players and due to them being ‘the new boys’ like us this season they had to battle hard to avoid the drop.

“I think the side will want to become an established Championship side over the coming years and consolidate a higher league position, but when the Island side becomes more experienced at this level I feel they could really be a force in the Championship and may one day push for the top end of the league.”

Henderson was a popular figure in the Channel Islands and scored nine tries in 30 appearances in National 1. While there he firmly established himself among the community and is a regular visitor there during the summer months.

On the pitch Jersey have established themselves in the division following a slow start to life in English rugby’s second tier last season, but they eventually managed to avoid relegation back to National 1 in their first season.

“Jersey is a great island with great people,” he said. “My memories of the season I spent there are fond ones; we had an exciting set of young players with a back-line that liked to chuck the ball around. We were all very close and coupled with the support the club receive it was a great place to be.

“The island is a small place as anyone will tell you, the rugby club get a lot of recognition in the papers over there and you often see people that come and watch around the town.”

Henderson has settled in at fullback having also played wing and centre this season

Chris Kinloch was the man who gave Ealing Trailfinders’ fans something to cheer about in the 36-10 loss to London Scottish on Sunday when he crossed for a try late in the match.

It wasn’t enough to spark a late comeback against an impressive Exiles sides, but it was his first in the Greene King IPA Championship and something he feels the side should be doing more often.

“It came from a period when we managed to look after the ball well,” he said. “We were coming round the corner and winning that race and getting on the front foot which opened up a bit of space.

“If we can do a bit more of that and be a bit more clinical in the red zone, we’ll get a few more tries and start being in these games and getting wins.”

The Scots’ try was Ealing first since hooker Josh Elliott went over against Plymouth Albion.

However, there were times in the match against the Exiles when Ealing enjoyed plenty of possession and territory, but were unable to breach the Scottish defence and which meant that the final result didn’t reflect the overall balance of the match.

“I think when we get in the red zone, we’re not clinical enough,” Kinloch said. “We don’t hold on to the ball and are not clinical off a set piece. At this stage you just can’t afford to do that.

“Tries for us have been few and far between for us. I think we’ve deserved a lot of tries this season that we just haven’t got.”

Ealing Trailfinders fought hard against a confident and in-form London Scottish side who have their eyes fixed firmly on the promotion play-offs later in the year.

Chris Kinloch scored a second-half try and Ben Ward landed a penalty and conversion, while the visitors ran in two tries in the first half and added three in the second.

London Scottish started on the attack and three times they opted to kick for the corner and drive the catcher, but each time Ealing’s defence stood tall and after good work at a ruck by Ronnie McLean Ben Ward cleared the initial danger.

The visitors continued to press though and opened the scoring in the 10th minute when fly-half Dan Newtwon cross-kicked to Irish international flanker Neil Best, who dived over for the opening try.

Ealing fought back and darting breaks from Morgan Thompson and Phil Chesters took play into the Exiles 22. Sean O’Connell and Ed Siggery drove play on with powerful surges, before the Scots scrambled the ball to safety.

The Exiles hit back and after trying to break through Ealing’s defence with their forwards, they eventually gave the backs a run and Newton picked out centre Ollie Grove to dive over.

Ward’s penalty brought Ealing back into contention just before half-time, but a Newton penalty early in the second half stretched their lead further.

Even so Ealing’s forward pack continued to cause their opposite numbers problems; captain Adam Preocanin and O’Connell competed well in the line-out and the front row of Steve Neville, Sam Wilkes and Tim Brockett brought power to the scrums.

It was the visitors who scored the first try of the second half though when their captain Mark Bright powered over in the corner from a rolling maul and shortly afterwards their wing Miles Mantella intercepted and ran home from halfway.

Ealing continued to press for the try and were rewarded when slick hands put their backline on the front foot and allowed Kinloch to round his opposite number for his first try for the club, which Ward converted.

However, the final word went to the visitors when Grove raced in for his second try of the match.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson, Billy Robinson, Chris Kinloch, Ronnie Mclean, Phil Chesters, Ben Ward, Morgan Thompson; Steve Neville, Sam Wilkes, Tim Brockett, Adam Preocanin, Steve Pape, Ed Siggery, Sam Hocking, Sean O’Connell
Reserves
Richard Townsend, Ryan Storer, Conor Carey, Matt Evans, TJ Anderson, Tom Parker, Tom Wheatcroft
London Scottish
Jim Thompson, Michael Doneghan, Ollie Grove, Andrew Reay, Miles Mantella, Dan Newton, Jordi Pasqualin; Mark Irish, Adam Kwasnicki, Tom Francis, Alex Karonias, David Lyons, Neil Best, Chevvy Pennycock, Mark Bright (captain)
Reserves
Ted Stagg, Jamie Kilbane, Lewis Thiede, Ben Russell, Lee Millar, Peter Homan, PJ Gidlow

Referee – Ross Campbell
Attendance – 669

Chris Kinloch and Ronnie McLean will link up in the centres for the first time this season for the visit of London Scottish on Sunday.

Edinburgh-born Kinloch played in the season-opener against the Exiles at Allianz Park back in September and returned to the side against London Welsh last time out having sat out the previous few matches.

McLean most recently wore the number 13 shirt against Moseley and Plymouth Albion, but did play at 12 for the away trip to Leeds Carnegie in early October, when Kinloch played on the wing.

Billy Robinson and Morgan Thompson also return to the back-line having missed the match at Kassam Stadium last time out. Robinson will start on the right-wing in a back three that also features Andrew Henderson at full-back and Phil Chesters on the left-wing, while Thompson reunites with Ben Ward in the half-backs.

In the pack prop Steve Neville and second-row Steve Pape hold onto their starting places after impressive displays against the Exiles. Pape will line-up alongside captain Adam Preocanin in the second-row, while Neville makes ups a front-row alongside fellow prop Tim Brockett and hooker Sam Wilkes.

There is a second consecutive start for new signing Sean O’Connell, who made his debut against London Welsh and once again he packs down between flankers Sam Hocking and Ed Siggery.

Ealing Trailfinders v London Scottish, 24 November, 15.00 KO
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Billy Robinson
13 Chris Kinloch
12 Ronnie Mclean
11 Phil Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Steve Neville
2 Sam Wilkes
3 Tim Brockett
4 Adam Preocanin
5 Steve Pape
6 Ed Siggery
7 Sam Hocking
8 Sean O’Connell
Reserves
16 Richard Townsend
17 Ryan Storer
18 Conor Carey
19 Matt Evans
20 TJ Anderson
21 Tom Parker
22 Tom Wheatcroft

Sam Hocking will line-up in the back-row with Ed Siggery and Sean O’Connell