Ealing Trailfinders Minis hit top form

Ealing Trailfinders Minis won the prestigious Middlesex A festival on Sunday. For the second year running their teams from U7 to U12 won the Barry Boyden Cup � awarded to the most successful club in the county.

After triumph last year at Twickenham the festival came home Ealing as 14 teams from the county fought for the biggest prize in Minis rugby. Middlesex teams are amongst the strongest in the country and there were numerous examples of brilliant attacking rugby in every age group.

On a fine day the Ealing U8's set the tone with series of victories against Staines and Bank Of England which saw them finish with a 100% record.

The U12's fought out a tense and hard-fought final against Saracens, which saw the two teams level after two periods of extra time. The competition allows a winner to be decided by a toss of a coin but both teams decided that neither deserved to lose, so decided to share the trophy.

Ealing's U11's and U10 both made it to the finals of their age group, but fell at the last hurdle; the U10's losing to a strong Teddington side, and the U11's meeting a very powerful and well-organised Saracens team who won by a single try. But a final place contributes to the score that decides the crucial Barry Boyden Cup.

Late in the afternoon it was left to Ealing's U9's to decide the fate of the trophy. If they won their final against Teddington then Ealing would be the county's top club. Ealing and Teddington had drawn their match in the heats but the final was quite a different matter. Ealing played with great confidence and continually threatened the Teddington line. Ealing's forwards Zak Cranston, Marcus Lowe, Oscar Avis, and substitute Jonathan Hooke dominated the rucks and mauls giving their talented backs room to run and pass. The pressure paid off when man-of-the match Nadiesh Enoch-Gill made a solo run down the wing for the first try. Then good passing released Full Back Harry Britt for a second, with Enoch-Gill putting the icing on the cake with another brilliant solo effort. Ealing had won the Barry Boyden Cup.