A highly successful season that brought promotion to Level 7 rugby in Counties 1 Herts and Middlesex and a run to the quarter-finals of the Papa Johns Community Cup Counties 2 Championship came to a close with defeat by a fired-up Brunel University side, who combined speed and physicality to devastating effect. Despite the scoreline, Ealing Trailfinders 1871, shorn of captain Lewis Steadman and several other regulars by injury, put in a strong performance and were only 3 points adrift at half-time before succumbing to an increasingly dominant and impressive Brunel University side in the second half.

Brunel showed their intent, with a final at Twickenham in prospect, straight from the kick-off, launching an immediate attack from their own 22 before knocking on with the try line begging. Undaunted, Ealing drove the opposition back through the forwards, aiming to starve the dangerous Brunel back line of possession. The departing Ben Parkinson, filling in at scrum half in the absence of the usual options of Kyle Beck, Josh Steadman and Harrison Slater, harried his opposite number at the base of the scrum to the extent that Brunel ceded possession. After several phases of pick-and-go with darting runs by the backs, No 8 Will Day put in a clever grubber kick towards the try line, and despite him being unable to chase it himself due to a heavy tackle that led to him having to leave the field, flanker Carlos Duarte was first to the ball just before it reached the dead-ball line to score an outstanding team try. With the conversion nailed by Harry Vidler, 1871 were 7-0 up with 10 minutes gone. Five minutes later, Brunel were awarded a penalty which fly half Jack Thorn, a key player in both league counters between the teams, was short of converting to 3 points. However, he collected a relieving kick downfield and set off on a powerful run before being stopped 5 yards short, from where a team-mate picked up and scored. The conversion from wide out was missed, leaving Ealing still ahead. Ealing returned to the tactic of driving through their forwards but were unable to find a way through to the try line and eventually conceded a penalty. Brunel played to their strength in the back line, and put 1871 under heavy pressure, which yielded a penalty close to the posts taken quickly by the scrum half, whose score put Brunel ahead for the first time at 12-7. A fascinating contrast in styles of play continued for the remainder of the first period, with Vidler reducing the deficit with a long-range penalty after 27 minutes. With 34 minutes on the clock, Brunel again took a short penalty and worked the ball through their forwards with the loose-head prop finding space to dive over. Ealing opted for the posts on two occasions as the break approached, and Vidler scored with ease from long range to push his points total for the season well above 200. With the half-time score at 19-16 it was all to play for after 40 minutes of high-quality rugby.

Despite starting the second half with a 2nd row in the sin bin for a head-on-head tackle on Parkinson, Brunel scored two early tries that effectively settled the contest, the first by the No 7 from a penalty line-out and the second with powerful running from inside their own half. Vidler reduced the deficit to 31-19 with another penalty to keep his team in touch. Ealing never gave up and showed much of the quality that had brought promotion, but ultimately conceded another four tries to a fit and skilful Brunel team who looked as though they belonged at a higher level in the rugby pyramid.

Man of the match for a fine display of controlled aggression with countless tackles at flanker was Toby Holt. With the 2023-24 season finally over, we bid farewell to Ben Parkinson, headed for Australia, and former captain Liam McDonagh, who has decided the time has come to hang up his boots, two outstanding servants of the club on and off the field.