Blood & Sand defeated by the League leaders

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Cambridge v Ealing Trailfinders

3rd May 2025

An opportunity to visit the Cambridge ground for a Cambridge fixture for the first time, having attended various fixtures over the past decade. Today, league leaders Ealing Trailfinders made the trip. The fortunes of the two sides could not be more contrasting the hosts sit at the bottom of the league, having secured only three wins all season, while the visitors have triumphed in 15 of their 18 games. It would be interesting to see how they would fare in the Premiership, but due to ground regulations, they are not permitted entry into the Premiership.

The game started and with just 5 minutes on the clock, after a bright start from the home side, Ealing won a line out to push Cambridge back over the line with Michael Willemse scoring, with Daniel Jones adding the conversion to lead 0-7, however it could have been Cambridge on the score board first, but the chance went as a penalty went against them deep in the Ealing half. On 12 minutes Ealing where dealt a blow as Akinbiyi Alo was forced off, a fast move from Ealing saw them cross the line again, but the official pulled play back as the chance went, with 14 minutes on the clock - the second try for the visitors came Jordan Reid crossed the line to score, with Jones adding a conversion to double their lead.

With 19 minutes on the clock, Benjamin Harris scored the third try, followed by Jones's conversion. This was quickly followed by Harris’s bonus-point try, as he added his second of the afternoon, with Jones adding the conversion with just 23 minutes on the clock.

An attack on 29 minutes saw Ealing probing around the Blood & Sand try line as they added a further try as Danny Cutmore crossed over, with Jones adding to his conversion tally, the afternoon then got tougher for the home side as they went down to 14 men following a yellow card to Peter White on 34 minutes, from the resulting penalty, Ealing crossed the try line once more as Reuben Bird-Tulloch scored,  with Jones following up with a conversion, as they increase the lead to 42-0, before the half time and with the Blood & Sand down a man, there was still chance for the visitors to score two further try’s, the first from David Bridges, as he score under the posts, plus the last the try of the half from Jordan Holgate, again under the posts, both converted by Jones, to lead at half time 56-0.

Cambridge began the second half with increased momentum, making progress into Ealing's territory. Cambridge was the first to score, with Elias Caven securing a converted try along with an additional conversion. Ealing started making changes to their starting 15, Ealing quickly responded shortly after as Oliver Newman crossed the try line, with Craig Willis added the conversion, the Blood & Sand started to bring on their replacements, however it was Ealing that kelp the score board ticking over as Newman score his second try of the afternoon, as he brushed aside tackles to score under the posts, with Willis adding the conversion, while Michael Stronge scored another try for Ealing, with Willis adding the conversion, the home side made more changes on the hour, on 64 minutes Robert Farrar added another try for Ealing, with Willis adding the conversion, more  changes from Ealing, on 69 minutes Matthew Herna added a try for the home side with Elias Caven adding the conversion, from the restart Ealing added another try as Adam Nicol crossed the try line, but kicking into the wind, Willis was unable to add the conversion, with full time closing in, the home side had the final word of the afternoon, as Josef Green scored the third try for the Blood & Sand, but Caven was unable to add the conversion as the full time whistle blew.