Ealing Trailfinders crowned champions
Congratulations to Ealing Trailfinders, who have won the 2021/22 Championship season.
Ealing Trailfinders clinched the 2021/22 Championship title with an emphatic 60-10 win against Richmond today in West London. The hosts started brightly when Simon Uzokwe snuck over for the first of a hat-trick of tries after just two minutes and added to his tally soon after in the opposite corner, again from a rolling maul. Craig Hampson then darted over the line from an attacking scrum before Max Bodilly finished off a stunning counter-attack to bring up the bonus point inside half an hour. Richmond responded two minutes after the restart when Mark Bright rumbled over for his 100th Championship try, but the pressure from the Ealing pack took its toll again in the 39th minute when Rayn Smid barged over for the hosts' fifth, with Craig Willis' conversion taking the half time score to 29-5. Bodilly bagged his brace seven minutes into the second half, hitting a fast line from a scrum and crashing over for his side's sixth, before Uzokwe brought up his third of the afternoon, this time from a well-crafted lineout set-piece. With gaps starting to open up around the park, the Ealing backs turned the screw in the final 10 minutes, with Luke Daniels crossing and Angus Kernohan flying over for a brace in the space of two minutes. Despite the final result being a foregone conclusion, the closing stages didn't pass without drama, with Bobby de Wee sent off for dangerous contact and a late Richmond try from a close-range Callum Torpey pick and go. Referee Sara Cox brought proceedings to a close with the scoreline at 60-10, sparking rapturous celebrations among players and fans alike at the Trailfinders Sports Ground. The bonus-point win saw Ealing leapfrog Doncaster Knights to finish three points clear at the top of the league and secure one of the most tightly contested Championship titles in recent memory.