Ealing Trailfinders produced a thoroughly professional first half performance to put the points to bed in the first forty as they racked up thirteen tries at Grantchester Road. And that after Cambridge’s Matty Williams fell just short of giving the hosts an early lead.
Ben Ward was pleased with the way his side responded to their defeat against Bedford Blues: “Cambridge caught us at a bad time for them. Obviously, we weren’t happy with that defeat. We went with the wind and I thought we were pretty clinical. We had eight real chances, took them all and converted them all. To be fair to Cambridge they really came back at us in the second half and were unlucky not to take a try bonus point but the first half was very good. I think we’re a good side and we’ll continue to be so at whatever level we’re allowed to play at”.
Following Williams’ early foray, Trailfinders ran in eight scores before the break, with the Blood & Sand in a massive rearguard action. Skipper Mike Willemse lit the blue touchpaper 5 minutes in. Flanker Jordy Reid added a second from a break off a winning line out. Ben Harris ran in from deep for the third then added a fourth for good measure. Danny Cutmore emerged victorious from a pile-up under the posts. Reuben Bird-Tulloch struck for the sixth. David Bridge and Jordan Holgate worked their magic for numbers seven and eight and fly half Dan Jones, with that wind behind him was perfect for all eight shots off the tee.
56-nil at the break was always going to be an Everest, but Cambridge struck first in the second period, with Eli Caven dashing over in the corner and converting his own score. Predictably, though, that act illicited a savage response from Trailfinders. Ollie Newman touched down twice. Michael Strong added another, swiftly followed by Craig Willis and Robert Farrar.
Matt Hema smashed his way over for the Blood & Sand’s second, with Caven converting. Adam Nicholl got another for Ealing, with replacement fly half Willis missing his only kick at goal in the second half. And whilst Joe Green’s finish in the corner made it a third for the Blood & Sand, try as they might they couldn’t pick up that elusive try BP.
Cambridge interim Head Coach Anthony Allen put on a brave face afterwards. “They are obviously a really good side. We asked for a few things to change after that first half. They stuck in the fight, they kept working hard, we could have had the try bonus, and there’s a lot to take into training this week ahead of London Scottish next weekend that’s positive”.
Teams
Cambridge
Baker 6 (Skelcey 38 6), Green 7 , Williams 7, Hanks 6 (Hema 53 7), Caven 7, Dawson 7 ( Betteridge 48 6), White 8; Ellwood 7 ( Nearchou 53 7) , Brownlie 7 (Veness 62 6), Bridges 6 (Murphy 62 6), Bretag-Norris 6, Sylvester 6 ( Baxter 67 6), Rees 6, Gaffan 6 (Friend 54 6), Adams 7
Ealing
Dykes 8, Harris 8 (Hampson 67 6), Bird-Tulloch 8 (Moore 48 7), Holgate 8, Collins 8, Jones 9 ( Willis 48 8) Stronge 8; Whyte 8 (Zigariadis 48 7), Willemse 8 (Buckley 43 7), Alo 6 (Nichol 12 7), Lonsdale 8 (Irvine 54 6, Lonsdale 67) Cutmore 8, Farrar 8, Reid 8 (Newman 51 7), Bridge 8
Scorers
Cambridge
Tries – Caven 48, Hema 69, Green 75
Conversions – Caven 49, 70
Ealing
Tries – Willemse 5, Reid 14, Harris 19, 23, Cutmore 29, Bird-Tulloch 35, Bridge 37, Holgate 39, Newman 53, 58, Stonge 60, Farrar 64, Nichol 72
Conversions –
Jones 6, 15, 20, 24, 30, 36, 38, 40, Willis 54, 59, 61, 65
STATS
Scrums Won – 5/6
Scrums Lost – 1/0
Line Outs Won – 8/12
Line Outs Lost – 1/1
Penalties Against – 14/4
Yellow Cards 1/0
Attendance – 1076
Referee – Ben Wood
STAR MAN – DANIEL JONES (EALING)