For the second consecutive week, Ealing 1871 had to rely on a converted try from the last play of the game to pick up league points, securing two for scoring four tries and finishing within seven points but dropping to fifth in the highly competitive Herts Middlesex League 1 after a first defeat since joining the leagues in the 2019-2020 season.

Following a fairly even start to the game, Saracens won the first of several scrum penalties and kicked deep ino Ealing territory. From a clean catch at a second penalty line out, the Sarries forwards drove over the line for an unconverted try. This stung 1871 into action, and a period of fluent back play by both teams followed. Eventually Ealing were penalised in a kickable position, but the kick was missed. The 22 metre dropout went straight into touch, presenting Saracens with another attacking platform, and when an 1871 player was penalised the more straighforward kick from in front of the posts was successful. Ealing finally began to threaten the visitors' line, but yet another penalty to Saracens relieved the pressure. Attacking play by both teams suggested that plenty of tries would follow, and debutant flanker Ian Kilcoyne finished emphatically with No 10 Callum Nolan-Hutchinson adding the easy conversion. Within two minutes inside centre Josh Steadman added to his tally for the season, outpacing the defence on an angled run to finish close to the posts. The six-point lead was reduced to one when the visitors scored in the left-hand corner, and despite further pressure on their line Ealing held on to lead at the break.

With Saracens a man down due to a yellow card for a tip tackle shortly after the resumption, Ealing enjoyed a period of dominance, and elected to take a scrum when awarded a penalty in a kickable position. Little momentum was gained from the scrum, but with the referee signalling another penalty and allowing play to continue, quick-thinking second rower Nyall Wake notched his side's third try, again converted by Nolan-Hutchinson. A fourth might have settled the contest, but lapses in concentation allowed the impressive Saracens fly half to score under the posts, and then enabled the visitors to re-take the lead with an unconverted try wide on the left. With Australian war-horse Ashley Spencer on as a replacement to add strength to the set scrum, 1871 enjoyed some territorial advantage but conceded a fifth try to leave them 11 points adrift with little time left. A series of Ealing attacks were repelled, but in the last move of the match full-back Lewis Steadman finished powerfully under the sticks to snatch crucial bonus points.

Joint Ealing men of the match were wing Ben Pink, who received little ball to run with but tackled solidly all afternoon, and flanker Oscar Avis for charging runs into the opposition and aggressive tackling. There is no let-up after two tough games in what is proving to be a high-quality league, with a trip next Saturday to London Scottish Lions, who have made an impressive start to their league campaign.