Doncaster Knights v Ealing Trailfinders preview

Trailfinders have won 11 and lost one of their 12 games played; the Knights have won five and lost seven.

Ealing have a 13-point lead over second-placed Bedford Blues with ten games to play in the Championship. They have won two more games plus amassed five more bonus points, one bonus point for every game they’ve played.

In other words, they have scored four tries or more in the eleven games that they won and lost by just one point to the Knights when they lost, thus scoring the losing bonus point.

Trailfinders have also scored 300 more points than second-placed Bedford and conceded 23 points fewer. They have scored 339 points more than the Knights (over double) and conceded 43 fewer points.

Try scoring is Trailfinders’ forte, having crossed the whitewash on 95 occasions. The Knights have dotted down 41 times. Trailfinders have conceded 33 tries, seven less than the Knights’ forty. However, Knight winger Jordan Olowofela is easily the highest try-scorer in the Championship, he is due to play after a few weeks off since tearing a quad but Trailfinders will be very wary after Jordan scored a hat-trick last time the teams met in Ealing.

Trailfinder full back Tobi Wilson is their highest try-scorer, winger Ben Harris has scored just one less than Wilson and hooker Matt Cornish has scored just one less than Harris. Additionally, winger Tom Collins and back row Will Montgomery have scored one try fewer than Cornish. These five Trailfinders have scored 36 tries in total to Jordan’s 13.

Trailfinders have only been beaten once this season and that was by Doncaster Knights 35-36 in the reverse fixture. That loss will sting because the Trailfinders lost their way. Both sides scored four tries, as identified, this includes the Knights’ winger Jordan Olowofela scoring a hat-trick. The single point difference was an extra two-point conversion that Trailfinders kicked compared to an extra three-point penalty that the Knights kicked.

Ealing famously beat Ampthill 92-0 last October but were pushed close by the Cornish Pirates last September, only winning 24-29 in Penzance. Second-placed Bedford Blues are 13 league points and two defeats below Trailfinders after 12 games have been played.

Premiership minimum entry criteria have been reduced, most notably supporter capacity. It is highly likely that Trailfinders will be promoted if they win the Championship.

The last game for both teams was in the Premiership Cup, which isn’t a true reflection on league performance. Ealing Trailfinders beat London Scottish in London 15-35. The result left Trailfinders second in Pool C, two points behind Harlequins. That left Trailfinders with the highest runner-up score with Sale Sharks. Trailfinders beat Northampton Saints 26-43 in the quarter-final at Cinch Stadium @ Franklin's Gardens.

They went to Sandy Park in Exeter to play Exeter Chiefs on 8th March and lost by four points, 28-24. Tries were scored by scrum half Craig Hampson, centre Reuben Bird-Tulloch and hooker Matt Cornish

As Alex Dolly said before the Caldy Premiership Cup game, “Winning is a habit”, hopefully that continues to when we play Trailfinders after we convincingly beat Caldy 48-0.

Ampthill welcomed Hartpury on Saturday 1st March and lost 32-36. This result didn’t affect the league table but now Hartpury have the same number of league points as fourth-placed Nottingham and Ampthill are now just three points below the Knights in ninth.

Other games across our Nation are:

Friday, March 21

Cornish Pirates (6) v London Scottish (7)

Saturday, March 22

Ampthill (9) v Nottingham (4)

Caldy (11) v Chinnor (10)

Coventry (3) v Cambridge (12)

Doncaster Knights (8) v Ealing Trailfinders (1)

Hartpury University (5) v Bedford Blues (2)

A Knight Win would rise us to seventh if the Scottish lose to the Pirates.

A Knight Loss would see us drop to ninth if Ampthill beat Nottingham.

There’s no doubt that Trailfinders are the strong favourites to win but the Knights have home advantage and favour the underdog moniker as most teams do because it eases the pressure. Let’s prevent Ealing from finding their Trail and support Doncaster’s valiant Knights by being a very vocal 16th player.

Supporter voted Knight of the month for February is Maliq Holden.

COYK

DONNY, DONNY, DONNY…