Amateurs 1sts make it nine out of nine

Ealing Amateurs 1sts recorded their ninth straight win in all matches and remained the only unbeaten team in Middlesex Merit Table I, after a blistering start against last season’s play-off finalists Imperial College.

After just four minutes, Ealing took the lead when a clever cross-field kick by fly-half Alex Gillespie was collected on the bounce by full-back Andy Jack, who converted his own try from half-way out. Six minutes later Jack was involved again, attacking down a narrow channel on the left wing before his seemingly innocuous kick infield caused mayhem in the defence, enabling No 8 Andrew Tew to pick up the loose ball and score. Jack added the extras. Tew was on the score sheet again when Jack broke through the defence and passed to wing Pascal Baptiste, who offloaded in the tackle to the supporting No 8, who shrugged off the attempted tackles to power over for a try converted by Jack. With a quarter of the game gone Ealing went 26-0 ahead when Tew picked up from the base of a dominant scrum and fed wing Shane Johnston.

A lack of concentration by the men in green allowed Imperial to score immediately from the re-start, but the 26 point gap was restored when centre Jonathan Knott collected a loose pass under pressure and passed to Gillespie, who dived over. A high-scoring first half ended with Imperial creating an overlap to score on the right wing and Ealing adding a sixth try, scored by flanker Mike Whitney following good work by Tew and Jack.

Playing against the wind in the second half, Ealing lacked the fluency they had shown in the first 40 minutes and managed only one more try, scored by Mitchell Harvey-Gleed, while Imperial caught the visitors napping as their right wing evaded all attempted tackles to run in from 60 yards.

This Saturday, 10 November, Ealing Amateurs 1sts take on Chiswick II in a home game at Vallis Way.