Ealing 1871’s second string took on HAC II in the first round of the MMT Cup and put on a scintillating performance to inflict a heavy defeat on opponents who play a league higher in MMT Premier. The entire squad of 19 played with purpose, enthusiasm and the confidence instilled by weeks of intensive Tuesday and Thursday night training.

The omens were not favourable when HAC used the advantage from an Ealing knock-on to score an early try on the right wing, which was converted. However, Ealing began to assert pressure in the set scrums and won a series of clean line-out catches, enabling captain Harrison Slater to reduce the deficit with a penalty after 10 minutes. Six minutes later, Ealing moved into the lead with a try scored by hooker Luke Beasley from an unstoppable driven maul set up by a line-out catch by Keatan Gill. Slater bisected the posts with the conversion from wide out on the left. Strong scrummaging and a rampaging back row of Alex Kritikos, the returning Ben Thompson and Oliver McAllister ensured there was no respite for HAC, and it came as no surprise when a quickly taken penalty close to the try line created space for Ilan Trowbridge, in another impressive performance at outside centre, to  touch down on the left. With half an hour gone Beasley doubled his tally in similar fashion to his first from another clean catch and drive. HAC showed they were still in the contest by scoring at the other end just a minute later, but the half finished with another home score through inside centre George Emmerson, timing his run well to take a scoring pass from scrum-half Callum MacGregor.

With a healthy lead at the break of 29-12, there was to be no let-up in the second half. Ealing took a scrum against the head in a dangerous position inside the opposition 22, and Emmerson accelerated through a tempting gap from MacGregor’s pass. The contest was effectively over just 2 minutes later with a fine forwards’ try set up by a well-timed MacGregor pass, an off-load by Jim Casey and a strong finish by fellow replacement Callum Neal. HAC pulled back to 43-17 before Trowbridge intercepted a loose pass on the 22 and finished under the posts, followed on the score sheet 5 minutes later by prop Pat Nash at the end of a fine move with hard yards made by Beasley and man of the match second row David Vater. There was time for two more tries in a high-scoring match, a fourth for HAC followed by a ninth for an impressive Ealing 2nds, sealing Trowbridge’s hat-trick.

In the next round of the cup Ealing 2nds have a home draw against Rosslyn Park 4ths. League action resumes this Saturday, 27 September, with a home game against Grasshoppers, kicking off at 1.00 pm because of the Women’s World Cup Final. The 3rds are also at home, against Actonians in MMT3.