In a fixture arranged after Finchley pulled out of a planned double-header, Ealing Trailfinders 1871 1sts hosted the Counties 1 second team of Level 5 Banbury, with 1871’s 2nd XV taking on the visitors’ third string. The first team game proved a somewhat one-sided affair in a warm early September day, but was a useful run-out to blend some new recruits into the squad before the first game in the highly competitive Regional 2 Thames at the end of the month.

Ealing got off to a perfect start, running the ball back after receiving the kick-off. After two driving mauls had moved play to half-way, scrum half Richard Rhydderch-Roberts, who missed most of last season through injury, put up a perfectly weighted and directed kick towards the right wing. Josh Steadman beat the Banbury defence to the ball and accelerated away to finish under the posts. Six minutes later Rhydderch-Roberts was on the scoresheet himself, darting over from a dominant scrum. With 13 minutes on the clock, flanker Gereint Price finished off a fine passage of play featuring strong running by both forwards and backs, after which Banbury reduced the deficit to 17-7. On the quarter mark full back Ben Clarke, a recent arrival from Galway, notched his first try in Ealing 1871 colours following excellent handling along the back line. Just two minutes later tight-head prop Akeem Eubank-Anderson used his upper body strength to force his way over, and he added a second in similar style on the half-hour mark, pushing the score to 36-7 with a conversion by inside centre James Barrow, another summer recruit. On the cusp of half-time, captain and outside centre Lewis Steadman weaved his way through the defence from half-way for an outstanding score.

Down 46-7 at the break, Banbury’s woes continued immediately after the re-start with another four Ealing tries in the first13 minutes of the second period, through Lewis Steadman, fly half Harry Vidler following a powerful run by loose-head Leo Codrington-Lambert, replacement back row Alex Street from a well-executed penalty line-out catch and drive and a third try of the day from Eubank-Anderson, bouncing off a would-be tackler at pace. Banbury were next to score, but a good finish by flanker Andrea Cortellari and a fourth in a swashbuckling display by Eubank-Anderson prompted the referee to call an early halt to proceedings with 10 minutes of normal time remaining.

While noting that he had never seen a tight-head score four tries in one game, coach Phil Smith named Lewis Steadman as man of the match, with a special mention for flanker Toby Holt.

Ealing 1871 2nds also won comfortably, scoring 55 without reply on the adjacent pitch. Both teams open their league account on 26 September following the two-week delay necessitated by the summer drought.

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