Ealing Trailfinders return to Vallis Way for this National 2 South league game against Newbury Blues on Saturday after a highly promising start to this season’s league campaign. With 4 games gone they remain undefeated, after one home win against the Mond and 3 trips on the road, 2 producing 5 point wins and the other a draw against highly fancied Southend. Ealing sit in 4th place on 16th points behind Southend (18) , Jersey ( 18) and Henley Hawks (20). Henley & Jersey go head to head this weekend at Dry Leas.
Mike Cudmore said “We have had a tough September with three away games and a local derby at home. We have come through it unbeaten and produced a 16 point total so far. We are happy with that and our performances are improving each week. This weekends focus will be about improving our performance standards in all areas of our game”.
When the team look back at September they will do so in the knowledge that as Mike said each week they are improving. Phil Chesters has started the season off where he left last season, with 7 tries to his name, and in Neil Hallett, we have a player that is capable of nailing kicks from anywhere. We have a back from that is beginning to perform at the top of their game, boosting a pack that last week held firm against a much fancied Taunton outfit. All in all things are looking bright.
And so to this weekend’s game. Top against bottom of the table clashes on paper always look easy and despite the problems that Newbury Blues have had off the field, they still possess players that have had experience of playing at a higher level. This season has not been good to them: 4 defeats from their 4 outings so far, but they will come with their own ideas as how to stop us from playing and as Phil Chesters said earlier this week, “Newbury will be the first game of October and will bring with it more tests . We will look at each team on their merits and prepare accordingly”
See news article in Newbury Today.
Club History
The club was founded in 1928 due to the efforts of Len Whittaker who left St. Barts Grammar School in 1924. The first game played by the newly formed club took place on 15th. September 1928 against Midlands team, Stoke. This was the first of 23 games that season during which the Club won 13 matches and lost 10 Even throughout the early years of the Club, the standard of play encouraged such major sides as Northampton, Gloucester, Harlequins and Wasps to come and play against Newbury. In 1932 the Club found a permanent home where we stayed until 1952 at which time the Club moved to Pinchington Lane to the south of the town. It was not until 1958 that a Clubhouse could be built on the site which was less than a mile from our present headquarters at Monks Lane where we have 5 pitches, of which three are fully floodlit. The 1938/39 season saw Newbury unofficially crowned by the local press as “Champions of Berkshire”. The first game to be played after the War was on 13th. April 1946. Despite the inauspicious date, the Club won 37 – 0 against Windsor.
Since that time, the Club has gone from strength to strength winning honours both regionally and at County level. A continuing policy of youth development has meant that many of our players have progressed from Junior to Senior level with the club. More recently, other Newbury players have gone on to greater heights with clubs such as Gloucester and Bedford.
After today’s game, Ealing travel down to Bristol to face Clifton next Saturday, and return to Vallis Way on the the 16th October to take on Westcombe Park .
Wing Owen Bruynseels is aware that each game has its own pitfalls. “Despite their league position , each team arrives with their own idea of how to play, no team rolls over at this levels and we will treat Newbury with the respect they deserve. We know if we play to our capabilities we are a match for anyone. Our first aim is to win, if we do that the rest should follow”.
Previous Games between Ealing Trailfinders & Newbury Blues
More history today as the game is the first league meeting between the two clubs!
