1871 stay top with second bonus-point win

A youthful Ealing Trailfinders 1871 team showing six changes from the nine-try victory over Finsbury Park emerged from another high-scoring game with a comfortable win to remain early leaders of the Counties 2 Herts and Middlesex table.

After a minute’s silence in memory of Queen Elizabeth II, Ealing kicked off against local rivals Wasps Amateurs, and like the previous week started at a blistering pace. An early penalty was kicked to touch, but the line out was lost. However, Ealing soon recovered possession and although a pass in midfield went to ground, wing Finlay McBride was on hand to scoop up with his first touch in adult league rugby and race away to finish under the posts with just 4 minutes gone, giving fly half Harry Vidler an easy conversion.  Wasps, fielding the heavier of the two packs, then dominated possession for extended periods, but were repelled by resolute defence, and the green-and-whites doubled their lead somewhat against the run of play with a superb try by scrum half Kyle Beck. From an Ealing scrum awarded for a crooked Wasps line-out throw, Beck spotted a gap while Wasps were expecting to see the ball spun along the line, and ran in under the posts from the half-way line, Vidler converting. Wasps continued to enjoy territorial advantage, and eventually forced their way over through pick-and-go’s to the left of the posts for an unconverted try. With the half-time whistle approaching, the Ealing defence was penetrated a second time in similar fashion, leaving the score delicately poised at 14-12 to the men from Vallis Way at the interval after Ealing narrowly failed to extend their lead with the last move the first period with Wasps reduced to 14 men by a yellow card.

Ealing crucially opened the second-half scoring, once again scored through the backs. Making a mistake they repeated throughout the game, Wasps kicked deep into the Ealing defence, where full back and captain Lewis Steadman caught the ball and took play down field. Prop Dan O’Mahony collected a tap from his own throw-in, made crucial yards and set up an Ealing attack, finished by Beck popping up at pace to receive a scoring pass from young left wing Danny O’Sullivan, on as a second-half replacement. With Vidler converting, Ealing were two scores ahead at 21-12. With Wasps receiving a second yellow card at the same time as the first miscreant was returning to the field of play, Vidler’s penalty attempt from 40 metres struck the left upright. Wasps again kicked deep but found Lewis Steadman, who made good yardage down the left wing before drawing the last man and putting McBride in for his second try with 30 minutes to play. A wild pass by Wasps soon afterwards was intercepted by O’Sullivan, who sped to the line for Ealing’s fifth try, once again converted. Restored to full numbers, Wasps came back into the contest and reduced the gap, once again at short range through their forwards, but 1871 responded immediately from the re-start. Flanker Kavan Fitzpatrick gathered, side-stepped a would-be tackler, made 20 metres and off-loaded to Beck, who completed his hat-trick. In a chaotic last 5 minutes with Ealing outside centre Ben Parkinson yellow-carded for a high tackle, Wasps had a potential fourth bonus-point try disallowed for a forward pass, but courtesy of a dropped Ealing pass immediately made amends.

After the game, captain Lewis Steadman, while happy with Ealing’s all-round game and finishing, was disappointed with the gifting of a bonus point with two soft tries conceded towards the end. Dan O’Mahony, in his second league game, was named man of the match.

Scorers

Tries: Beck (3), McBride (2), O’Sullivan

Conversions: Vidler (6)