Champion Trailfinders cut Blues to shreds

EALING celebrated their Championship triumph with a nine-try trouncing of fourth-placed Bedford to finish seven points clear at the top of the table.

- ROGER PANTING

With Coventry losing last week, Ealing already had the title in the bag so they were able to enjoy their success in style by playing with freedom in the spring sunshine.

Ealing played some delightful heads-up rugby to clinically take their chances and rip apart a limited Bedford. Michael Dykes and Lloyd Williams were key players in this but the star turn was Reuben Bird-Tulloch who caused havoc in Bedford’s ranks with his explosive running to record a hat-trick.

The centre was also man of the match in Ealing’s opening day 41-21 victory at Goldington Road and he repeated the dose as Bedford conceded exactly 100 points in this season’s fixtures between the clubs.

Bird-Tulloch said: “We wrapped the league up last week so it was a bit of a dead rubber so a number of our squad got a game.