Trailfinders beat Blackheath 59–22 with nine away tries

Ealing Trailfinders beat Blackheath 59–22 on Saturday 17 October. They scored nine tries and secured a bonus point in the fifth round of Elior Champ Rugby. The final margin does not tell the whole story, however: the hosts recovered from their early deficit and briefly took the lead.

Toby Cousins and Deago Bailey opened the visitors’ scoring. Blackheath replied through two Jordan Burns tries, before a Sam Morley penalty put them 15–14 ahead. Trailfinders regained the advantage before half-time and went into the interval leading 26–15. Home supporters therefore saw a competitive contest before the gap widened substantially.

Ealing added five tries after the break. Their scorers included Bobby de Wee, Adam Nicol, Michael Stronge and Jake Morris. Nicol registered his first try for Trailfinders. The club’s report also records a yellow card for Cousins: victory did not mean a flawless performance in terms of discipline.

In the home club’s account, Ealing captain Will Montgomery pointed to improved maul play following the half-time discussion. Blackheath coach Tom Stradwick said his side had remained competitive for much of the game, but an injury after the replacements had been used made the closing stages harder. Attendance was 1,053.

Before the trip, Ben Ward made two changes to his matchday squad, both at hooker. Matt Cornish replaced Mike Willemse in the starting fifteen, while Harry Thompson joined the replacements. Montgomery retained the captaincy. Craig Hampson and Louie Johnson kept their places at scrum-half and fly-half. The bench contained six forwards and two backs. Bobby de Wee and Freddie Stevenson were named together in the second row. Rory Scannell and Francis Moore formed the centre partnership, with Jake Morris selected at full-back.

This was the team’s second consecutive big win. In their previous match, played on 11 October, Trailfinders beat Hartpury 71–7 and scored eleven tries. Francis Moore was named player of that match. The two results demonstrate productive attacking performances in successive fixtures, although Saturday’s need to recover the lead distinguishes the Blackheath game from the earlier victory.

For supporters planning another stadium visit, the next date in the club’s calendar is Saturday 31 October. Trailfinders are due to host Doncaster Knights at Trailfinders Sports Club at 3pm. That is followed by an away match against Ampthill on 7 November at 6pm, then a home fixture against Coventry on 15 November at 2pm. Supporters should check the club’s schedule again before buying tickets and travelling.

In the table available on the club’s website on Monday morning, Ealing were second behind Worcester Warriors. Coventry and Chinnor occupied the next two positions. Doncaster Knights, the next visitors to Ealing, were seventh, while Blackheath were ninth. This is the current league picture, not a prediction of the next match’s result.