Ealing Trailfinders 1871 cruised to a twelve-try victory over Grasshoppers to climb to third in the table after four games, with three wins and one narrow loss on the board.

Ealing welcomed Grasshoppers to Vallis Way for the first game between the first teams of the two clubs since the last of 20 keenly contested annual fixtures in 1999. Recollections vary as to which club won most of those. Ealing were not quite as clinical as in the previous week’s outstanding win over Beaconsfield, especially in the opening exchanges, but opened the scoring after 7 minutes through No 8 Toby Holt, picking up at the base of a dominant scrum and diving over. Grasshoppers came back strongly and were kept at bay from a series of penalties close to the 1871 line only at the cost of a yellow card for wing Louis Walker, a ‘team’ sanction for persistent offending. Having weathered the storm, Ealing were eventually awarded a penalty of their own and moved upfield to score a second try through inside centre George Emmerson, who showed good strength to finish in the corner after patient build-up. Six minutes later further forward dominance forced a penalty, and from the ensuing lineout hooker Luke Parry finished to the right of the posts. With 1871 now dominating all facets of the game, Ealing fielded a speculative kick downfield and attacked at pace. Scrum half Richard Rhydderch-Roberts wrong-footed the defence a couple of yards out to squeeze over, the extras added by James Barrow, who occupied the No 10 berth in the absence of the holidaying Harry Vidler. With the four-try bonus secured and Hoppers down to 14 with a yellow card, Walker finished in the left-hand corner 2 minutes later, and within another 2 minutes some fine interplay between forwards and backs ended with tight-head prop Akeem Eubank-Anderson burst through the last line of defence. Barrow added the conversion to leave his team comfortably placed at 34-0 at the interval.

Coach Phil Smith rang the changes at half-time, giving debuts to Ollie Ireland at prop and Livai Naga at blind-side flanker and welcoming Jack Hobbs on the wing for his first game of the season following injury. Shortly after the resumption full back Pen Pettigrew added his team’s seventh try of the day with a fine weaving run, with a conversion by Barrow. Naga knocked on with the line at his mercy but was not to be denied when another opportunity presented itself a few minutes later. Grasshoppers’ bad day was compounded by a red card for a dangerous high tackle. Right wing Josh Steadman touched down in the corner shortly afterwards, before the visitors registered their only score of the day. Walker, back on the field on the right wing, added his second try of the day, as did Parry with an interception, and the try scoring was completed by Barrow.

A tougher test awaits with the visit to Vallis Way of unbeaten Harpenden.  Joint man of the match were Toby Holt and fellow back row Gereint Price.

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