Durutalo at the double as May lets off Ealing
LAURENCE May missed a last-gasp conversion to leave Ealing Trailfinders as one-point winners at a sun-lit Vallis Way.
Two tries from new signing Andrew Durutalo and one each from wingers Will Harries and debutant Seb Stegmann made the difference for the Trailfinders.
Ealing head coach Alex Codling told TRP: “It was a big lesson for us. We only played two preseason games and maybe we were rusty.
“We were ill-disciplined and let them back into the game in the second half. We made some great linebreaks in the first-half and had some good interplay but we switched off.”
Ealing scored on the third minute, a break by scrum-half Grayson Hart allowing Harries acres of space to score in the right corner.
Pirates fly-half May pulled back a couple of penalties but the hosts’ physicality kept them in a commanding position.
A lineout led to captain Mark Bright offloading sweetly to Durutalo, giving the openside room to score under the posts.
Four minutes later and Harries looked odds on for his second but opposite number Alex O’Meara just held him up. Seven phases later and Stegmann popped up on the opposite wing to score.
After half-an-hour of Ealing dominance, the Pirates got some ball-inhand and after centre Nicolas De Battista broke through, winger Kyle Moyle sprinted over the whitewash to close the game up.
Any Pirates revival was stifled when Alex Day was sent to the bin on the 35th minute for a high tackle. After Pete Lydon knocked over the penalty, May got one back before the break.
After Durutalo and Tom Lawday exchanged tries, ill-discipline gripped Trailfinders but they kept out the away side for nearly half-an hour in a nail-biting second-half until Pirates lock Toby Freeman scored from a catch-drive.
But the Cornish contingent were left disappointed with May’s kick skirting wide.
Pirates head coach Gavin Cattle said: “Ealing are tipped to be front runners but this shows that our boys can compete and don’t have to fear anyone.
“I thought we did enough to come away with the win.”