Hardwick power has Ealing storming past Coventry

INSPIRED by storming displays from prop Will Goodrick-Clarke and flanker Richard  Hardwick, Ealing extended their unblemished start to the league season to five games with a hard - earned bonus point win over Coventry.

- PAUL SMITH

After trailing at the break the Trailfinders simply had too much scrum power for the battling visitors whose pack was shored up by a number of loan signings following a series of front-row injuries.

The hosts forced seven scrum penalties in total and their resulting dominance of both territory and possession eventually wore down a Cov side who competed ferociously hard at the breakdown and in the lineout.

Ealing scrum coach Brett Wilkinson acknowledged that his team had to dig deep before emerging victorious.

“It was a really tough battle which we knew it would be against a Coventry team we really respect,” he said.