Frustrating to lose a game that didn’t need to be lost, but fair play to Belsize Park, as they deserved the win.

Two well matched sides, who played ping pong on the scoreboard throughout, which made for a good and exciting cup final that had its fair share of blood, sweat and tears, on both sides.
Ealing 1871’s warm up was patchy in places, but finished on a high, as what was ultimately required, as far as cohesion is concerned, was achieved in the last few run throughs.
When the game started the pressure initially came from Ealing 1871, but swung straight back by Belsize Park, who got a reward from some sustained pressure. They capitalised from a knock-on, which gave them a break away run. However, Kayci Bernard ignited his burners and tackled their centre just before the 5-metre line. A superb try saver. Belsize Park, however, had a support runner who took the ball that had been popped up in the tackle and he went over to score, which was then converted.

After a lot of to-ing and fro-ing in various plays, with numerous turnovers, long passages of play and various penalties spattered around on both sides, it was not until the 29th minute that another point was scored, with Etienne Gomme going over from a turnover of a Belsize Park ball at the lineout. Ealing 1871 put KBA (Keep Ball Alive) to brilliant practice and Belsize Park literally could not cover the field fast enough to prevent the try being scored. Four minutes later, with the wind in their sails, Adam Rodrigo, who throughout the game caused the opposition team problems, as he has consistently been doing all season, went over for another score, which was converted by Andrew Quick and putting Ealing 1871 ahead. However, two minutes later, Belsize Park took back the lead after winning an Ealing 1871 lineout, putting the ball through their hands then crashing up through poor tackling from Ealing 1871. This try was converted.

At the start of the half, Ealing 1871 clearly decided that if Belsize Park could steal a lineout, then why not do that as well, so five minutes in, they did the same, then put the ball through their hands and out wide, leaving Belsize Park struggling, once again, to cover the pitch. The ball went into Kayci Bernard’s hands and he put on his afterburners and was away under the posts, putting Ealing 1871 back in front. Andrew Quick again converted the try.

Seven minutes later, after another Ealing 1871 knock-on, Belsize Park capitalised on the advantage, moved the ball out one player, who then ran through more, poor Ealing 1871 defensive shapes and tackling. This drew the sides level at 19-19.

The next two tries, at 16 minutes and 21 minutes were scored by Belsize Park in almost identical plays, where they won their lineouts, then put the ball through a couple of pairs of hands. The 16-minute try was then cleverly put on a rewind, to hit the weak Ealing 1871 shoulder to score and then convert, but the 21-minute try scorer was given a wide gap to run through, virtually un-opposed.

Ealing 1871 were then galvanised and at 32 minutes, after winning a scrum penalty, well done Ash Spencer, a real hard line was hit by Frederick Woolner, who had threatened this throughout the game and was clearly too much for Belsize Park to handle in full flight. He powered his way through the troubled defence to score and Andrew Quick took the extras. With less than five minutes to go, Ealing 1871 came back at Belsize Park with real vigour and were thundering their way up the pitch, seeming set to score, but the referee deemed the ball to have been knocked on in an offload move, which sealed the game for a Belsize Park win.