BILLY’S LOST IN EALING
Ealing 27 Saracens 26 Sarries embarrassed and more questions for Eddie
IF Eddie Jones had turned up hoping to watch Billy Vunipola run riot ahead of the Six Nations, then he may as well have stayed at home. The England coach cut a solitary figure behind the posts at Vallis Way, where Saracens’ second string were given a humbling welcome to life outside the Premiership.
As most of rugby’s househould names put their feet up, it was the likes of Alun Walker and Craig Hampson who stepped up in English rugby’s only game of the day. Ealing Trailfinders had not played a competitive match for 323 days, but the ambitious Championship side seized their moment in the spotlight.
This was light years away from Saracens’ hazy days as domestic and European champions. Vallis Park is an impressive facility, yet there was still a feel of the amateur days as the players trotted across the car park to the pitch.
Mark McCall rested almost all of his international stars, but Vunipola was always scheduled to play as part of his reconditioning. In the absence of Owen Farrell, Maro Itoje et al, he was surrounded by unfamiliar faces. All eyes were on the talismanic No.8, although he was kept quiet.
There were a couple of fumbles and signs of ring rust as he played his first match for 41 days but, from Jones’ perspective, there was an ounce of comfort to see him last the full 80 minutes.
‘I thought Billy was outstanding, genuinely,’ said an upbeat McCall. ‘ He has been brilliant with this young group all week. He has been really positive with them.
‘It’s so hard for an international player to play in a game like this and not get frustrated, at times, with your team-mates and also the opposition.
‘Some of these younger players are just starting their journey and having someone like Billy to guide them through, stay positive and be supportive is very good. Billy is just a great club man, he knows the importance of senior players and their influence on the younger players.’
Vunipola was the only international player in the Saracens pack, after World Cup- winning South African prop Vincent Koch was forced to withdraw in the warm-up. Ealing matched the visitors’ physicality up front, winning an early scrum penalty before Angus Kernohan scored the opening try.
However, Saracens edged themselves back in front before halftime. Will Hooley traded kicks with Craig Willis, before Elliott Obatoyinbo scored in the 29th minute.
The lead slipped through their fingers in the second half, as their biggest Championship rivals stepped up. ‘I think if we manage to play Ealing again in a play- off game, our team might look a bit different,’ pointed out McCall.
‘When the relegation happened, we divided our squad into three groups.
‘A group who we believed needed to play at the highest level, who went out on loan. The international players, who will have a quieter club season. And then this group, who are just starting their journey and need games like that. We are looking forward to bringing all of those three groups together come the summer time.’
In the second half, Saracens conceded 13 penalties and individual errors crept in. After Vunipola spilled the ball at the back of a scrum, Ealing attacked from their will- drilled lineout and Walker scored from the maul.
Saracens responded with a driving maul of their own through their USA intrenational Kapeli Pifeleti, before Sam Wainwright was sin binned.
Ealing’s first victory of the Trailfinders Challenge Cup was secured when Walker added a second in the 75th minute, although Tom Woolstencroft’s late try at least gave Vunipola’s Saracens a l osi ng bonus point.