Bedford’s pack blown away by Trailfinders bully boys
EALING Trailfinders maintained their grip on first place in Pool 5 following a match in which their pack flexed their muscles to take a firm grip over their Bedford Blues counterparts.
They dominated the scrums and forwards Mark Bright, Seb Nagle-Taylor and Matt Cornish scored tries from driven line-outs.
Wings Curtis Wilson and Phil Chesters also crossed for scores as did Bedford’s Myles Dorrian and Jake Sharp, which showed both teams determination to play with ball in hand despite the damp mist that enveloped Vallis Way from start to finish.
The result means Ben Ward’s side sit top of the pool, five clear of Yorkshire Carnegie who lost to the Dragons Premiership Select.
“Our game control was good at times today and we took our chances in their 22,” Ward said. “It was important to get the win going into the league again and that leave us on top of our pool.”
It didn’t take long for Ealing to grab the initiative as fly-half Aaron Penberthy picked out Curtis Wilson with a cross-kick that gave the wing a simple finish in the corner.
Dorrian replied with a penalty, but Penberthy scored the first of his three before Bright did what he has done on numerous occasions by latching onto the back of a driven lineout to score.
Dorrian scored his second penalty, but NagleTaylor matched Bright’s effort to put the hosts in sight of a try-bonus point before the half hour mark.
It came just before halftime. Another penalty allowed Ealing to kick for territory and after their forwards chanced their arm, Penberthy gave his back-
line a run and Chesters finished in the corner.
Penberthy kept the scoreboard ticking with his second penalty early in the second half, but Dorrian showed that Bedford could pose a threat by looping round his backline to score in the corner.
A third Penberthy penalty kept allowed the home side to keep the visitors at arm’s length and Cornish scored just moments after coming off the bench.
By then the match was gone for Bedford, but they stuck to their task and their reserves provided a welltimed lift. First Jake Sharp touched down after Dorrian had picked him out on the loop and then Jacob Burns raced away to ensure his side had the last word.
The Blues are back in action on Boxing Day when they welcome Jersey Reds to Goldington Road and there is an appreciation that they will need a better performance than the one they put in in west London.
“In the first half Ealing were clinical and better than us and we can’t offer any excuses there,” Bedford boss Mike Rayer said. “I’m proud of the effort from the lads in the second half, they made a fist of it and we had too much of a mountain to climb.
“At 17-3 we had a bit of pressure under the sticks, but we didn’t convert and if we’d scored a try then we’d have been in the game, but Ealing defended well and deserve all the plaudits.”