Author Archives: Paul Clarke

Ealing Trailfinders hooker Sam Wilkes has called for him and his teammates to not let another opportunity slip by to open their account in the Greene King IPA Championship when Plymouth Albion visit this Friday.

The west-country club travel to Vallis Way for some more Friday night lights action a week after Moseley left with a 15-6 win, the first time this season that Mike Cudmore’s team have failed to score a try at home.

“That’s huge,” Wilkes said. “Again they are a bottom four, bottom five team and they are the games we should be winning, as everyone knows. We’ve lost two of the ones we should have won, two out of three but we can’t panic as it is a long season. I think we’ve got to keep ploughing on and trying.

“We didn’t let them (Moseley) flood through, so you have to take some positives from it, but coming into Plymouth is going to be huge. We really have to do our homework on them as a team and individuals.”

After an improved performance away to Bedford Blues a week previously there were hopes that Ealing would be able to record their first win of the season.

However, Moseley’s took the few opportunities they created to score and despite dominating possession and territory in the second half, Trailfinders were unable to find a way through their ever-desperate defence.

“It was a missed opportunity and very disappointing,” Wilkes said. “I think it’s the top six inches. We’re in an out of performance and lacking consistency within the game. It is trying to channel the emotion; instead of it bubbling in your stomach you have to put it onto the pitch.”

Ealing Trailfinders were unable to record their first win of the Greene King IPA season as Moseley left with four points from a physical encounter at Vallis Way.

Tom Wheatcroft scored all Ealing’s points with a brace of penalties, while Moseley scored a try in each half.

It was Moseley who opened the scoring in the third minute when William Hooley knocked over a penalty after Ben Ward was penalised for a deliberate knock-on and yellow-carded, but by the time Ward re-entered the fray Wheatcroft had kicked Ealing level with his first penalty of the match.

Moseley upped their tempo but were unable to find a way through dogged Ealing defence, who repelled a number of attempted push-over tries.

Eventually they found a way though as flanker Oliver Robinson popped a pass to scrumhalf Sam Brown and he ran in the opening try of the night.

The hosts hit back quickly and former Moseley wing Billy Robinson was fingertips away from celebrating his birthday from the day before with a try, when Moseley fullback Anthony Carter beat him to a grubber kick.

As the half wore on the Ealing pack began to take control and while the team were unable to find a way across the try-line Wheatcroft’s second penalty meant they went in at half-time four points behind.

Moseley stretched the lead immediately though as second row Cory Hill stretched his legs and off-loaded to Greg King to score.

Ealing came roaring back, but despite enjoying the lion’s share of territory and possession were unable to find a way through Moseley’s massed defence, who held out till fulltime.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson, Owen Bruynseels, Ronnie McLean, Tom Wheatcroft, Billy Robinson, Ben Ward (c), Morgan Thompson, Camillo Parilli, Sam Wilkes, Jordan Saunders, Steve Pape, Matt Evans, Adam Preocanin, Alex Bradley, TJ Anderson
Reserves: Josh Elliott, Ryan Storer, Conor Carey, Anders Nilsson, Sam Hocking, Tom Parker, Phil Chesters
Moseley
Anthony Carter, Scott Armstong, Greg King, Will Owen, Matthew Williams, William Hooley, Sam Brown; Craig Voisey, Rhys Buckley, Adam Parkins, Cory Hill, Michael Powell, Neil Mason, Oliver Robinson, Chris Brightwell
Reserves: Thomas Warren, Williams Matthew, Danny Herriott, Alex Woolford, Buster Lawrence, Alex Day, Michael Penn

Referee – Simon Harding
Attendance – 692

Ealing Trailfinders Director of Rugby Mike Cudmore has made only one change to the team that lost 31-14 to Bedford Blues for the visit of Moseley in the Greene King IPA Championship on Friday.

Jordan Saunders is handed a first league start at tight-head prop after impressing off the bench against Bedford, a match in which he went close to scoring in the second half before the Bedford defence held him up.

“I thought the ways the boys played on Sunday did themselves great credit and thankfully we’ve haven’t suffered too many knocks considering the short, five-day turnaround,” Cudmore said.

“As such I feel it is fair we harness the momentum from that match and take it in to what is a massive match on Friday against Moseley, who are only one place above us.”

Saunders will pack down alongside loose-head prop Camilo Parilli Ocampo and hooker Sam Wilkes, while further back Adam Preocanin continues at blindside flanker in a back-row that also features TJ Anderson at Number 8 and Alex Bradley at openside.

Wing Owen Bruynseels plays his third consecutive match since returning from injury against Cross Keys and will be certain to be eyeing the try-line considering that his fellow back-three colleagues,fullback Andrew Henderson and Billy Robinson have already opened their try-scoring accounts for the season.

Ealing Trailfinders v Moseley, Friday 1 November, 19.45
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Owen Bruynseels
13 Ronald Mclean-Dents
12 Thomas Wheatcroft
11 William Robinson
10 Benjamin Ward (captain)
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Camilo Parilli-Ocampo
2 Samuel Wilkes
3 Jordan Saunders
4 Stephen Pape
5 Mathew Evans
6 Adam Preocanin
7 Alex Bradley
8 Thomas Anderson
Reserves
16 Joshua Elliott
17 Ryan Storer
18 Conor Carey
19 Anders Nilsson
20 Samuel Hocking
21 Thomas Parker
22 Philip Chesters

Morgan Thompson hangs on to the number 9 shirt for the clash with Moseley

Ealing Trailfinders may not have come away from their trip to Bedford Blues with a first win in the Greene King IPA Championship under their belts, but for Andrew Henderson the performance was a noticeable improvement from previous road trips to Rotherham Titans and Leeds Carnegie.

The fullback was one of two try-scorers in the first half, which alongside the second from scrumhalf Morgan Thompson gave Ealing a 14-7 halftime lead. In the second half though the home side used the strong wind at their backs and greater knowledge of the notorious Goldington Road slope to fight back and win 31-14.

“It was great to see the boys put a performance in for the 80 minutes,” Henderson said. “We lapsed at certain points, but there is no taking away that Bedford are a great side.

“I think they’ve always been in the semifinal since this new Championship play-off started, so to take 14 points off them and look dangerous for large portions of the second half is good. However, we had to understand that if we lost the ball in their 22 we were going to be facing a line-out on our own 22 because the wind was a big factor today.”

The match was the first time that Ealing have been shown live on Sky Sports and as well as the match the broadcaster visited Vallis Way during the week to speak to Phil Chesters and interviewed Ben Ward, Owen Bruynseels and Director of Rugby Mike Cudmore on the day.

Next up for the club are two Friday night home matches, against Moseley and Plymouth Albion, where Henderson hopes the team can continue their growing momentum.

“We’ve come here today and wanted to put a performance in,” Henderson continued. “It was on TV, it’s a massive stage for the boys and I think everyone stepped up and proved they can do it.

“Now we have to take it on and make our home a fortress. Games like Moseley and Plymouth a week later are absolutely massive for the club; we must come out with something from them.”

Henderson’s try midway through the first half was his second in two matches and gave him the distinction of becoming the first Trailfinders player to score in front of the Sky Sports cameras.

The score was almost a carbon copy of his try against Cross Keys a week earlier. Fly-half Ward sent the ball right, centre Ronnie McLean punched a hole in the defence and offloaded to Henderson who had the relatively straight-forward task of running the try in.

“I have to put my hands up to admit that I haven’t had to do a lot for them,” he said. “They’ve come off the back of Ronnie’s good work, which has put me in for two easy ones. You take them as they come and hopefully I’ll keep taking them.”

Andrew Henderson scores against Cross Keys

Andrew Henderson and Morgan Thompson scored first-half tries as Ealing Trailfinders lost 14-31 away to Bedford Blues.

Despite not being able to secure a losing bonus point, the performance in front of the Sky Sport cameras and full-house at Goldington Road was a vast improvement of previous away trips to Rotherham Titans and Leeds Carnegie and at time Ealing’s attack caused Bedford a number of problems.

After an evenly matched opening 10 minutes it was the hosts who took the lead. Fly-half Jake Sharp prodded a grubber through the defensive line and wing Ollie Dodge raced on to the ball to score, with captain James Pritchard converting.

Ealing hit back quickly though. Tom Wheatcroft intercepted, broke away and was stopped five metres from the line. The ball was quickly recycled and when it went wide Andrew Henderson was in hand to score his second try in two matches.

Soon after Trailfinders took the lead; Adam Preocanin stole a lineout in the Bedford 22 and a knock-on gave Ealing the chance to attack from a scrum. TJ Anderson broke from Number 8 and after repeated assaults on the line by the pack scrum-half Thompson squeezed over.

Bedford threatened to hit back immediately, but a huge Camillo Parilli tackle showed Ealing’s intentions and scrambled defence after the hosts broke into the 22 gave Ealing the chance to clear.

The hosts came again though and a Sharp grubber to the corner was swooped on by Dodge for the winger’s second of the match, but with Pritchard unable to convert Trailfinders went in 14-12 ahead at the break.

Bedford came out strongly at the start of the second half and five minutes in Pritchard linked with Sharp to go over and then converted his own try to give Bedford the lead again. Fullback Michael Le Bourgeois then went over wide out to stretch their lead further.

Ealing kept up their attacking game-plan and prop Jordan Saunders was held up after the forwards had driven a line-out. In the last minute Bedford broke away again for Pritchard to score his second.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson, Owen Bruynseels, Ronnie Mclean, Tom Wheatcroft, Billy Robinson, Ben Ward, Morgan Thompson; Camilo Parilli-Ocampo, Sam Wilkes, Conor Carey, Steve Pape, Matt Evans, Adam Preocanin, Alex Bradley, Thomas Anderson
Reserves
Josh Elliott, Ryan Storer, Jordan Saunders, Anders Nilsson, Sam Hocking, Stuart Commins, Phil Chesters
Bedford Blues
Mike Le Bourgeois, Brendan Burke, Mark Atkinson, James Pritchard (c), Jake Sharp, Luke Baldwin; Darren Fearn, Charlie Clare, Ben Cooper, Mike Howard, Paul Tupai, Don Barrell, Sacha Harding, Nick Fenton-Wells
Reserves
Scott Spurling, Nico Steenkamp, Phil Boulton, Ben Gulliver, Tom Armes, Darryl Veenendaal, Neville Edwards

Referee – Dean Richards

Fans packed Goldington Road for Ealing Trailfinders match with Bedford Blues

Conor Carey and Camilo Parilli will be out to show that propping isn’t just for grizzled veterans when they start as tight and loose-head props against Bedford Blues in the Greene King IPA Championship on Sunday.

Carey, 22 and Parilli 23, both joined the club over the summer. Carey arrived from Ulster, while Parilli returned to the club from Leicester Tigers, for whom he played while playing Sport and Exercise Science at Loughborough University.

They have quickly established themselves in the squad and will pack down either side of hooker Sam Wilkes on Sunday.

The match is Ealing Trailfinders’ first ever live appearance on Sky Sports, with the match due to kick off at 15.15 on Sky Sports 4.

Adam Preocanin returns to the side after injury, but moves to the back-row, where he will pack down at blindside alongside openside Alex Bradley and Number 8 TJ Anderson.

Wing Billy Robinson is the only starting back who wasn’t part of the squad that won promotion from National 1, which means fans will recognise the familiar pairings of Morgan Thompson and Ben Ward at half-back and Tom Wheatcroft and Ronnie McLean in the centre.

Ealing Trailfinders v Bedford Blues, Sunday 25 October, 15.15 (live on Sky Sports 4)
15 Andrew Henderson
14 Owen Bruynseels
13 Ronnie Mclean
12 Tom Wheatcroft
11 Billy Robinson
10 Ben Ward
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Camilo Parilli-Ocampo
2 Sam Wilkes
3 Conor Carey
4 Steve Pape
5 Matt Evans
6 Adam Preocanin
7 Alex Bradley
8 Thomas Anderson
Reserves
16 Josh Elliott
17 Ryan Storer
18 Jordan Saunders
19 Anders Nilsson
20 Sam Hocking
21 Stuart Commins
22 Phil Chesters

Sky Sports’ cameras rolled into Vallis Way earlier in the week to film a segment with winger Phil Chesters for their Rugby Club programme.

The report was part of their build up to Ealing Trailfinders’ first live appearance on Sky Sports, this Sunday away to Bedford Blues.

After filming the morning’s training session and grabbing a few words with head coach Ben Ward, the channel’s Greene King IPA Championship commentator Johnnie Hammond settled down to interview Phil with the focus on his return to the team following his serious injury earlier in the year.

For those that missed the report, it is available to view here

The match at Goldington Road kicks off at 15.15 and is live on Sky Sports 4.