Yes, Ealing win..but they have to fight for it

Ealing …………….54pts

Tries: Campher 8, Penalty 14, 20; Smid 28, Uzokwe 39, Al-Jiboori 68, Kernohan 70, Burns 73

Conversions: Willid 9, 29, 40, 69, 74

Hartpury …………20pts

Tries: Foley 22, Crane 50, Hunt 60

Conversions: Williams 51

Penalties: Mathews 17

EALING, to nobody's great surprise, duly won the opening fixture of the season, with the outcome largely settled by the interval, but this was a far less one-sided game than the scoreline suggests.

“It was a tough, competitive game,” said Trailfinders' Ben Ward.

“Hartpury let us take the initiative early on, but for 20 minutes in the second half they were in complete control of the match. In fact they never really let us get going in the first half, despite the scoreline. I think both sides will take positives from the match, but we've both got some work-ons as well.”

Trailfinders were quickly into their stride, on the scoreboard at least, with five first-half tries against a single try and a penalty from their opponents.

Early Hartpury indiscipline gave field position to the home team and resulted in two penalty tries and a score for Jan Henning Campher.

Rayn Smid and Simon Uzokwe also crossed for scores in similar fashion, battering their way through after phases in the visiting 22.

Hartpury's reply came from the excellent Ben Foley, getting on the end of a clever dab through from Bruzulier, after the scrum half 's tap and go.

With the score at 35-8 at the break, Hartpury followers may have been fearing a repeat of last season's capitulation on this ground, but the current squad came out with a different mind-set.

Suddenly it was Ealing who were conceding penalties and while Hartpury were not as incisive their coaches might have liked the way they gradually worked back into the game.

Again it was the drive that did the business, with co-captain Will Crane scoring before debutant Ethan Hunt added his name to the list.

With Hartpury looking for the bonus point, it wasn't until the final 12 minutes that Ealing put the gloss on their victory, starting with another drive finished by Al- Jiboori.

Then Angus Kernohan scored out wide following a Sean Malton break-out and Jordan Burns showed his electric pace to finish proceedings.

John of Hartpury said, ”After a poor first half, we were disappointed not to get a bonus point in the end. Early on, we made it too easy for the best team in the league to get into our 22. I was much happier with the way we came in the second half, and it was a shame to give up those two late tries.”

TEAMSEALING: Gibbons 6 (Smith 6, 51), , Campher 7 (Malton 7, 51), Whyte 6 (Thiede 6, 51), De Wee 7 (Linsell 7, 60), Casson 6, Al-Jiboori 7, Uzokwe 7 (Northcote-Green 6, 60), Smid 7 (Digby 6, 73); Hampson 8 (Burns 7, 70), Willis 7, Walker 7, Howard 6, Bodilly 6 (Bird-Tulloch 6, 70), Kernohan 6, Johnston 6HARTPURY: Maguire 7 (Adkins 6, 58), Crane 7 (Hunt 6, 54), Knight 6 (Benz-Salomon 7, 46), Groves 7 (Lemon 6, 54), Jordan 7, Howard 7, Hastings 6 (Gray 6, 18)), Robinson 7; Bruzulier 7 (Lennon 6, 64), Mathews 6 (Eves 7, 46), Goatley 7, Williams 6 ,R Smith 6, S Smith 6 (McNab 6, 58), Foley 8.REFEREE: Harry WallbaumATTENDANCE: 903Star manCraig Hampson – Ealing