Ealing party like it’s 1871

There was a (perfectly legal) party atmosphere at Twyford Avenue as Ealing put on a magnificent show of attack and defence in their first game of the New Year to gain a bonus-point win over a team sitting second at the mid-way point of the season in Herts Middlesex League 1, executing their game plan to perfection.

On a raw mid-January day, 1871 fielded a strong team featuring several key players who had sat out much of the first round of fixtures with injuries. The intensity of the warm-up boded well, and an explosive start to the game followed. From the kick-off, Wasps were put under heavy pressure with crunching tackles by the Ealing centre pairing of Josh Steadman and Max Muirhead and the powerful back row of Oscar Avis, Nyall Wake and Chris Joyce. Almost inevitably, Wasps eventually offended at the breakdown, allowing Callum Nolan-Hutchinson to put 6 psychologically important early points on the board with penalties. Immediately after the second successful kick, the returning Muirhead put the Wasps deep defence under pressure and gathered a loose ball to speed away and finish under the posts, giving Nolan-Hutchinson a straightforward conversion. On the quarter-hour mark Wasps conceded another penalty under enormous scrum pressure, leading to clean possession from the subsequent line-out. Scrum-half Etienne Kille launched an attack, and neat and well-timed passes along the back line produced a try for the prolific and versatile Lewis Steadman, on this occasion playing at 11.

Eighteen points down with less than a quarter of the game gone, Wasps visibly improved with the angry words of their captain ringing in their ears, and finished the half strongly with 1871 a man down following a yellow card to prop Tim Hitchcock for violent conduct. Eschewing the chance of 3 points when awarded penalties, Wasps went for tries but were consistently and emphatically repelled by a well-drilled and determined defence, Muirhead and Avis being particularly notable for the physicality of their tackling.

Restored to full numbers, Ealing began the second period strongly and came close to another try following a break by Lewis Stedman. On 56 minutes Nolan-Hutchinson collected a drop-out from under the posts, kicked ahead and outpaced the defence to touch down wide on the right, narrowly missing to add the extras to his own try. The fourth and bonus point-securing try again went to Lewis Steadman, diving over on the left wing following another drop out. The last few minutes of the game were largely played in the Ealing 22, but energy and, enthusiasm enabled 1871 to keep the home side at bay and preserve an impressive clean sheet. In what was undoubtedly their best performance of the season to date, every one of the 18 players who took the field played a full part in a dominant victory over local rivals who had held 1871 to a high-scoring draw in the home fixture.

Ealing 1871 stay in fourth place in the table but are now well within reach of Wasps and Barnet Elizabethans, the two teams sitting just above them. The next game is away to Saracens Amateurs, who got the better of 1871 at Vallis Way in the autumn but subsequently dropped points and now appear to be on strong form, scoring over 80 against Actonians.