REPORT: Ealing Trailfinders 8 – 49 Leinster A

A young Ealing Trailfinders side fought valiantly before losing their British and Irish Cup debut away to holders Leinster A at Donnybrook in Dublin.

Captain for the day TJ Anderson scored Trailfinders’ only try of the match in the second half, while Andy Hall kicked a first half penalty.

Ealing were up against a side that is expected to be in the running lift the trophy later in the season and whose coach Girvan Dempsey won 82 caps for Ireland.

Leinster centre Tom Farrell started the scoring with a try after six minutes and Sam Coghlan Murray added a second soon after, which were both converted by fly-half Cathal Marsh.

Ealing hit back with a penalty from Hall which helped Trailfinders to settle into proceedings, and as the first half progressed they started to pose plenty of problems for the Leinster ‘A’ rearguard, but were unable to find a way through so went in at the break 21-3 down.

Number 8 Leo Auva’a and second row Tadhg Beirne added further Leinster A tries in the second half before Marsh added a try to go alongside his conversions.

Eventually Anderson gave the travelling and vociferous Ealing fans something cheer when he capped off a well-worked move to score.

John Cooney added a further Leinster score before the end, but the team emerged with a lot of credit from a difficult place to visit and on a day in which a number of younger players were involved with the first team for the first time.

Ealing Trailfinders
Andrew Henderson; Sam Wardingley, Tom Bedford, Tom Wheatcroft, Phil Chesters; Andy Hall, Stuart Commins; Steve Neville, Sam Wilkes, Tim Brockett; Steve Pape, Mat Evans; Thomas Anderson (capt), Alex Bradley, Sam Hocking.
Replacements: Josh Elliott, Camillo Parilli-Ocampo, Jordan Saunders, Joe McVey, Ed Siggery, Morgan Thompson, Billy Robinson.
Leinster A
Darren Hudson; Sam Coghlan Murray, Tom Farrell, Tom Daly, Darragh Fanning; Cathal Marsh, John Cooney; Jack O’Connell, James Tracy, Royce Burke Flynn, Tadhg Beirne, Ben Marshall, Dan Leavy, Conor Gilsenan (captain), Leo Auva’a.
Replacements: Bryan Byrne, Martin Kelly, James Tracy, Ross Molony, Gavin Thornbury, Luke McGrath, Andrew Boyle, Steve Crosbie