Author Archives: Paul Clarke

Having waited three matches to make his Greene King IPA Championship debut, centre Ronnie McLean wasn’t going to let defeat to Leeds Carnegie overshadow his pride in playing in English professional rugby’s second tier for the first time.

McLean lined up in the less familiar inside-centre role, having played outside-centre for most of his three years at the club. Even so he was his customary physical self in attack and defence.

“It was brilliant to put the shirt back on and play in such a massive game against Leeds, especially with the crowd they had and I was buzzing for the match,” he said.

“Personally I think I did alright, but disappointingly as a team were we weren’t able to deliver as well. I couldn’t wait to get back out onto the field, so to get out there and come out unscathed. It was good to play.”

Like all the team the US-born McLean was bitterly disappointed at the loss, but realises the size of the task he and his teammates were up against.

The Yorkshire side were gracing the Premiership only three seasons ago and play at the 22,250 capacity Headingley Carnegie Stadium, the second-largest club rugby stadium in the country, behind Leicester Tiger’s Welford Road.

“Leeds, they are going to be up and around the top and going for promotion this year and there was a bit of a difference between us and them,” he said. “Set piece they were more clinical and better than us. We were just struggling from the get-go and it was tough.

Next up for Trailfinders is a trip to Dublin and a clash with holders Leinster A in the British and Irish Cup. A week later the side return to Vallis Way for their second match in the competition against Welsh side Cross Keys.

McLean hopes that the side can continue their development in those to fixtures and carry it on when they return to league action away to Bedford Blues on 27 October.

“I think we are improving in fits and starts, but we need to bring a complete package. Every week we have to improve,” he said. “We have to keep improving and learning and Leinster will be a good tough match. We need to use each game to get that match sharpness.”

Ronnie McLean (12) gives teammate Chris Kinloch a hand during the match against Leeds

Ealing Trailfinders returned from their trip to Leeds Carnegie defeated, but having managed to play their expansive style at times against a side that is likely to be challenging for a place in the promotion play-offs come the end of the season.

Leeds didn’t take long to open the scoring when fullback Stevie McColl took a reverse pass and found a way through the defence, which fly-half Alex Lozowski converted.

Soon after the Ealing-born Lozowski stretched the lead further with a long-range penalty from the halfway line, but Andy Hall hit back with three-pointer of his own soon after.

After a frenetic opening 10 minutes the match settled into life with the hosts on top and eventually they added a second try. McColl led a counter-attack and after the ball was recycled scrumhalf Craig Hampson wiggled through to score.

Ealing continued to fight hard, but were unable to find a way through a well-drilled defence and once again it was the Leeds fullback who set the Yorkshire club up for another score.

He picked a strong line to break Trailfinders’ defence and popped the ball to centre Josh Griffin to score. Then just before halftime captain Jacob Rowan powered through to wrap up the four-try bonus point.

As the half wore on Ealing won a number of penalties close to the Leeds line and despite a number of drives the hosts were able to clear their lines to signal half-time.

Trailfinders’ spirited display continued after half-time as they added pace to the game and began to stretch the home side’s defence. However, after nearly 20 minutes it was Leeds Number 8 Ryan Burrows who broke the second half deadlock.

As the match drew to a close Leeds wing Jonah Holmes scored a fortunate fifth and hooker Joe Graham added a sixth. Lozowski continued his impressive form with the boot, added then seventh try himself before McColl kicked ahead at the death for his second.

Morgan Thompson and Andy Hall will form a new-look half-back pair for Ealing Trailfinders’ away match with Leeds Carnegie on Friday evening.

The South-Africa-born Thompson was on the bench for Ealing’ opening two matches, but the match at Headingley Carnegie Stadium will be his first start in the Greene King IPA Championship.

Hall will wear the number 10 shirt against Leeds

Hall scored 17 points with the boot in Trailfinders’ first two fixtures of the season, but started both from full-back. He previously played against Ealing in the 10 jersey for Loughborough Students in National 1.

In the pack Conor Carey is given his first start of the season at tight-head prop. The Ulsterman will form a front-row with loose-head Ryan Storer and hooker Richard Townsend.

Ed Siggery, who scored Trailfinders’ first home try of the season against Cornish Pirates, makes up a back-row trio with Matt Evans at No.8 and Alex Bradley in the number seven shirt.

Ealing Trailfinders v Leeds Carnegie, Friday 4 October, 2013, 20.00 kick-off
15 Billy Robinson
14 Chris Kinlock
13 Andrew Henderson
12 Ronnie McLean-Dents
11 Phil Chesters
10 Andy Hall
9 Morgan Thompson
1 Ryan Storer
2 Richard Townsend
3 Conor Carey
4 Adam Preocanin
5 Gavin Curry
6 Ed Siggery
7 Alex Bradley
8 Matt Evans
16 Sam Wilkes
17 Tim Brockett
18 Steve Neville
19 Anders Nilsson
20 TJ Anderson
21 Tom Parker
22 Tom Wheatcroft

Billy Robinson is hoping to return from Ealing Trailfinders Friday night’s trip to Leeds Carnegie with better memories than from the last time he played the Yorkshiremen.

Last season he was part of the Moseley team that suffered a 38-12 loss to Leeds at Wharfedale, though he had got on the score-sheet with a try a year earlier when the west Midlands side came close to springing a surprise victory at Headingley Carnegie Stadium before slipping to a 22-21 loss.

The stadium that also plays host to Leeds Rhinos Rugby League Club boasts the Greene King Championship’s largest capacity at 22,250 and Robinson is confident that playing there and against a team that was gracing the Premiership only two seasons ago will help inspire the entire team.

“It is a great place to play,” he said. “My experiences of playing at Headingley have been really enjoyable ones.

“I find that playing against the big teams in the well-known stadiums is a really exciting thing and a challenge that I really enjoy and try to rise to. Hopefully the whole squad will have that attitude where they are all excited by it and inspired by it, rather than being intimidated.”

Robinson joined Trailfinders from Moseley over the summer and quickly established himself in the squad. He has featured in all three matchday squads so far this season, but two weeks ago when Ealing travelled to Yorkshire to face Rotherham Titans Robinson was only on the pitch for 15 minutes before being knocked out.

Thankfully he was given the all-clear for his home debut with Cornish Pirates and the 25-year-old former Cambridge and Sale Sharks flyer started at full-back, having previously featured on the wing.

While the team were unable to secure their first Championship win of the season he and his fellow outside backs did get the chance to stretch their legs in attack and put the side from the Duchy under pressure.

“It was quite an enjoyable game to play in; it was an exciting game,” he said. “Probably for the first time in the Championship this year we were able to show our ability to play quality rugby and get our backs some ball and I think we looked dangerous and created some opportunities and put Cornish Pirates under pressure.

“It was an enjoyable game to play in and there were lots of positives to take from it, but I think the reality is that we didn’t get anything from the game, which is of course disappointing. Going forward we can’t be content with good performances I think we need to get results.”

For Ealing Trailfinders scrum-half Tom Parker the 31-17 loss to Cornish Pirates on Saturday was a bitter sweet moment, for while he scored his first try of the season, it wasn’t enough to help his side to their first Greene King IPA Championship win.

It took the 25-year-old only eight minutes after coming on to find a gap down the Pirates right flank, wiggle through and dart away to score. It may not have sparked a late comeback, but it did give Ealing’s vociferous supporters something to cheer before the final whistle.

“There’s mixed emotions I suppose because it was great to go over the white, but ultimately in the bigger scheme of things we came away with a loss and I think that game was winnable,” he said.

Despite scoring the Club’s third try in the Championship this season the Clapham-born player was quickly reminded as to how much work is needed at this higher level.

Having only played 16 minutes he and a number of the other substitutes stayed out on the pitch for more physical work before being allowed to go back into the changing room and finally catch their breath.

While the match was a marked improvement on the 79-9 loss to Rotherham Titans a week earlier, at the final whistle Trailfinders were left empty-handed despite tries from Parker and flanker Ed Siggery.

“At that level it shows that while we may have got away with things at National 1, against more clinical sides they put more pressure on and squeeze more points out of us,” Parker said.

“Ultimately it was very disappointing, but it is a new week next week and we move to the Leeds game on Friday with our heads high. We knew it was going to be tough going into the season and as a team we just have to keep going and work even harder on the positives.”

Parker (21) prepares to put the ball into the scrum against Cornish Pirates

Ealing Trailfinders now know who they will be crossing over the Severn Bridge to play after Cross Keys won the play-off to be the third Welsh team in the 2013-13 British and Irish Cup.

Jonathan Westwood’s team defeated rivals Bedwas 45-15 to book their place  and the side from Gwent will be Ealing’s second opponents and their first at Vallis Way when they travel up the M4 on Saturday 19, October. The return fixture is scheduled for the weekend of 10/11/12 January.

Trailfinders’ start this season’s competition away to the current holders Leinster A. After Cross Key’s visit there are back to back matches with Moseley, away on Friday, 6 December and at home the following Friday, 13 December.

Following Ealing’s trip to Wales, Leinster A will travel to W13 for a fixture under the lights on Friday 17 January.

Ealing Trailfinders were unable to win their debut Greene King IPA Championship home match, but put in a vastly improved performance against an experienced Cornish Pirates side.

Flanker Ed Siggery made history as the first player to score home Championship points for Ealing with a try late in the first half, while replacement scrum-half Tom Parker added a second close to the end to give the vociferous Ealing crowd a positive note to go home on.

For the first 10 minutes the sides were evenly matched as the game settled into its rhythm after a frenetic opening few minutes and it was the visitors from the south-west who opened the scoring when Keiran Goss exploited space on the left wing to go over.

Trailfinders hit back and after pounding the Pirates line second row Darren Barry was sin-binned for entering a ruck from the side. The forwards continued their assault and Welshman Siggery burrowed through a gap to score. With Tom Wheatcroft adding the conversion Ealing led 7-5.

A mix-up at the restart allowed Cornish to claim possession and they used it well to put Goss away once more and with fly-half Keiran Hallett adding a conversion, the team from the Duchy led at the break.

A Wheatcroft penalty early in the second half brought Ealing close at 12-10 behind, but Pirates stretched their lead further still when prop Jack Andrew grabbed a try.

As the match wore on both sides came close to adding to the score-line, but eventually it was Cornish who did so with further tries from hooker Aaron Carpenter and scrum-half Thomas Kessell.

Ealing at least ended on a positive not when Parker spotted a gap on the edge of the ruck to scoot over for a late try.

Two of the heroes of Ealing Trailfinders’ promotion from National 1will be given their first starts in the Greene King IPA Championship against Cornish Pirates on Saturday.

Anders Nilsson starts at open-side flanker and completes a back-row that also features TJ Anderson at Number 8 and Ed Siggery on the blindside flank.

Tom Wheatcroft meanwhile will wear the number 12 shirt and line up alongside Chris Kinloch at inside-centre. The pair make up a three-quarter line that includes another Championship debutant in Andrew Henderson on the right wing and the returning Phil Chesters on the left.

The on-loan Darryl Marfo is another to be handed a starting place for the first time. He will start alongside hooker Richard Townsend, who came off the bench against London Scottish and Rotherham Titans and Tim Brockett.

Ealing Trailfinders v Cornish Pirates; Saturday 28 September, 2013. Kick-off 15.00
15 Billy Robinson
14 Andrew Henderson
13 Chris Kinloch
12 Tom Wheatcroft
11 Phil Chesters
10 Ben Ward
9 Stuart Commins
1 Darryl Marfo
2 Richard Townsend
3 Tim Brockett
4 Adam Preocanin (Captain)
5 Gavin Curry
6 Ed Siggery
7 Anders Nilsson
8 Thomas Anderson
Substitutes
16 Sam Wilkes
17 Conor Carey
18 Ryan Storer
19 Matt Evans
20 Alex Bradley
21 Tom Parker
22 Andy Hall