After a last-gasp defeat in their last outing away at Welwyn, Ealing 1871 returned to form with a bonus-point win over a young and enthusiastic Ruislip side who were unlucky to come away from the game without any reward for their efforts. On a fairly heavy pitch after weeks of cold and wet weather, Ealing adapted their usual high-tempo game which brings multiple scores on the wings to make use of their strength up front at crucial moments.

Ruislip began strongly and took an early lead with powerful running off a set scrum near the Ealing line. It took the visitors 9 minutes to get points on the board, when Harry Vidler added three to his total for the season with a simple penalty. Five minutes later, 1871 took the lead for the first time in the match when, following a fast sequence of play, outside centre and captain Lewis Steadman broke away down the right, drew the last defender and delivered a pass to full back Flynn Ward to score near the corner flag. The conversion attempt was missed, and Ruislip regained the lead with a well-struck long-range penalty. A Vidler penalty put his team 11-10 ahead, and a minute later Lewis Steadman intercepted a weak pass and finished unopposed, Vidler converting. Ealing landed a psychologically important blow at the end of the first period when sustained Ruislip attacks had been kept at bay by well-organised defence, after winning a penalty in the middle of the field and then being awarded a second from the ensuing lineout. Prop Tim Hitchcock was sent back onto the pitch to add physical presence as Ealing opted for a scrum on the Ruislip 22 metre line, and a dominant set piece enabled No 8 Will Day to pick up and score. The conversion by Vidler left the interval score at 23-10.

Forward dominance remained the theme as the game resumed, and 6 minutes after the re-start Day again scored from a scrum taken instead of a penalty kick. With a quarter of the game remaining Ruislip reduced the deficit with a long pass out to the left from a quickly taken penalty close to the Ealing line before Vidler added another penalty. In a fine example of turning defence into attack, with 10 minutes left, 1871 repelled a series of Ruislip close-quarter assaults on their try line, turned over the ball with a strong tackle and within seconds had run the ball into the Ruislip 22 where they gained a penalty. Scrum half Richard Rhydderch-Roberts took it quickly, and quick recycling gave prop Akeem Eubank-Anderson the opportunity to smash his way through two tackles and notch his second try in consecutive weeks.

Ealing 1871 now enjoy a week’s break after a run of six games, before travelling to Hitchin on 1 March for the first of four remaining league fixtures, culminating in a visit to Cheshunt, who are currently sitting second in the table with Ealing within touching distance in fourth. Such is the dominance of the top four teams in the league that with a gap to fifth-placed Old Streetonians of 21 points, 1871 are already assured of finishing no lower than fourth.

On a day when the front and second rows dominated in the set pieces, coach Phil Smith named hooker Leo Codrington-Lambert and 2nd row Aidan Jones as joint man of the match, while the Ruislip captain chose Ealing’s one-man bomb squad Tim Hitchcock as the pick of the bunch.

Scorers

Tries: Flynn Ward, Lewis Steadmanm, Will Day (2), Akeem Eubank-Anderson
Conversions: Harry Vidler (3)
Penalties: Harry Vidler (3)