Ealing provide fizz to bottle up Blues
EALING continued their annus mirabilis by roaring into the final with a mixture of pace and power which Bedford struggled to match.
Ben Ward, the Trailfinders’ director of rugby, said: “I’m really proud of the boys and we want to be the last club to have our names inscribed on the British and Irish Cup.
“That was our third game in seven days and it speaks volumes for the squad they’ve been able to back the performances (two wins and a draw) up. Some of our off-loading game today was superb.”
Roared on by a huge travelling support, Bedford camped close to the Ealing line but after Will Hooley’s penalty strike, Ealing hit their stride and never looked back.
Playing flowing champagne rugby, they tore into Bedford and, in sizzling 14 minute spell first-half spell, scored four tries without reply.
A daring break-out from their own 22 set the wheels in motion, as the ball moved at pace to the left wing before James Cordy- Redden’s sublime return pass set-up centre Piers O’Conor.
Ealing deferred to more conventional methods to engineer a pushover score from the catch and drive, and with the backs chipping in, they had the momentum to work Alun Walker over.
In-form hooker Walker also had a big hand in the third try. Feigning to work a scissors move, he continued his rampaging run up the left flank before offloading to the supporting scrum-half Luke Carter.
Ealing confidently broke from deep for their fourth and, with backs and forwards undistinguishable, the ball travelled slickly through numerous hands before second row Harry Casson finished off under the sticks.
Bedford revived in the dying minutes of the half and were rewarded with a third Hooley penalty strike as they trimmed the deficit to 26-9.
The second-half never reached the same heights but Ealing, having won a scrum penalty, weren’t about to waste a prime attacking position, as Shane O’Leary’s pinpoint strike screamed catch and drive.
With the three-quarters also pitching in, the pack successfully mauled their way over with try-scorer and captain Mark Bright having double cause for celebration in his 50th club appearance.
Not that the Blues stopped trying. That they had enough territory and possession to make inroads but were too error-prone near the line.
The frustration eventually boiled over in the 69th minute when Bedford second row William Carrick-Smith literally saw red and was given his marching orders for head-butting an opponent.
However, five minutes later, Bedford’s captain Michael Le Bourgeois finished off his own approach work by looping around the hard-carrying No.8 Huw Worthington to score.
Ealing celebrated their entry into the final after the metronomic Luke Daniels landed his fifth kick at goal.
Martin Hynes, the Bedford forwards’ coach, said: “We started well but without making it really pay in the first ten minutes. Ealing were prepared to attack from anywhere and played some superb rugby. We simply made too many mistakes.”