Late show helps Ealing Trailfinders past Cornish Pirates in thriller

The first half at Mennaye Field on Friday night was a nip-and-tuck affair as Robin Wedlake dotted down out wide to cancel out opposite number Tom Collins’ early score. 

The teams were locked at 10-10 at half-time and Ealing’s ill-discipline kept the contest close, with Craig Hampson and Angus Kernohan both sin-binned for deliberate knock-ons. 

Iwan Price-Thomas scored on Pirates debut to set up a grandstand finish but home hearts were broken when Farrar crossed to give Ben Ward’s side a bonus point win.

“I felt all night we were building good pressure but you have to give credit to Pirates because they always stop you at the gain line,” said the Ealing Director of Rugby Ward. “To win like that is fantastic. 

“We’ve got a younger group this year mixed with a sprinkling of older guys. We’re enjoying this journey that we’re on and enjoying testing ourselves, different challenges and different players stepping up.”

Pirates joint head coach Gavin Cattle said: "Looking back, we had our opportunities to win, so to lose right at the end was a sickener. But ,considering our training week, where we had restricted numbers and were down to bare bones, there was much to admire in our performance. There was no lack of positive energy and there were a lot of good things to take from the contest."

Knights blunted by fearless Nottingham

Nottingham came back from behind to beat Doncaster 30-14 and claim a first win at Castle Park in five years. 

The visitors went 8-0 up thanks to Harry Clayton’s try from a rolling maul but were pegged back by tries either side of half-time from Morgan Strong and Jordan Olowofela. 

But Nottingham came roaring back as Harry Graham ran the length of the pitch to score and added another late on to buttress a bonus-point win. 

It was an excellent way for the East Midlands side to bounce back from a 28-14 loss to Pirates on opening night. 

Elsewhere, Hartpury held off a rousing comeback from London Scottish to claim a pulsating 34-33 win in their first home game of the season.

The hosts were 24-12 to the good at half-time before Scottish fought back to run them very close, emerging with plenty of credit in the process. 

Seven-try Cov too good for Blues

Coventry continued their commanding start to the season with a clinical 45-7 defeat of Bedford Blues. 

They leapt out of the blocks as Matt Kvesic flew over with two minutes on the clock and were 19-0 up within 20 minutes. 

Aaron Hinkley crossed the whitewash on his return to the club as the hosts opened up a 24-0 interval lead.

Bedford hit back within moments of the resumption as Oisin Heffernan crashed over but Matt Johnson issued an instant response by winning a penalty try from a scrum as Coventry romped to a second successive Championship victory. 

Ampthill roll with punches to down Chinnor

Ampthil came out on top against newly-promoted Chinnor, emerging from a see-saw contest with a dramatic 31-29 victory. 

Chinnor made their first-half supremacy count with three converted tries, highlighted by an opportunistic finish from scrum-half Luke Carter, taking a 21-12 lead at half-time. 

The hosts came out firing for the second half as Angus Hall and Brandon Jackson scored in quick succession to level the scores, before Josh Hallett charged down a kick to help the Mob retake the lead. 

Chinnor bundled over from a rolling maul on 70 minutes but Connor Slevin was unable to convert and two points was all that separated the sides. 

Cambridge claim spoils at Caldy

Cambridge withstood a comeback from Caldy to run out 26-21 winners on the road. 

The sides went hammer and tongs in the early stages with Jared Cardew helping get Cambridge noses in front with a converted try on the stroke of half-time, making it 18-11. 

Ben Brownlow crashed over the whitewash on 67 minutes to put his side in box seat, although the visitors were given a late scare when a brilliant break from Adam Aigbokhae saw Ollie Wynn dot down with three minutes to go.