Early Donnelly brace sets 1871 up for try fest

A warm, sunny afternoon ideal for Ealing 1871’s high-tempo game produced eleven tries and 9 conversions by Harrison Slater, and while Actonians enjoyed periods of possession and territory the home team repeatedly burst out from deep with quick breaks to keep the score mounting.

The tone was set early on when Ealing were awarded a penalty after an untidy start, and Matt Donnelly finished off the quick penalty move under the posts. Slick passing along the back line, which was to be a feature of the game, produced a second Donnelly try with just 8 minutes gone. Next to score was scrum half Kyle Beck, popping up on the right wing with an unstoppable run, and two minutes later flanker Abdou Traore was on hand to finish off after good work by fellow flanker Toby Holt, ending a good week for the Frenchman after France’s grand slam and securing the 4-try bonus. Actonians were rewarded for a period of pressure with a try from a driven maul, and continued to keep 1871 at bay until wing Stan Duhamel finished off in the corner in the last play of the first half.

Actonians recorded the first score after the break through another powerful maul. A few minutes later Traore stole an Actonians line-out and Beck looked to the short side before opting for an inside ball to prop Tim Hitchcock, who added to his impressive try tally for the season. The next score was perhaps the try of the day, finished with a searing run by full back Lewis Steadman after slick back line play. With a quarter of the game to go inside centre Josh Steadman left the defence for dead, after which outside centre Max Muirhead was put into space on half-way and sped to the try line. Muirhead notched his second in 5 minutes in similar circumstances before Lewis Steadman put the icing on the cake. Actonians finished on the attack but were unable to find a way through.

Results elsewhere leave 1871 tantalisingly 5 league points adrift of second-placed Barnet Elizabethans with one to play. Ealing need to make sure of a maximum 5 points away to Verulamians and hope that runaway league champions London Scottish are motivated to put in a big performance at home to Barnet.