LEADERS Ealing Trailfinders showed why they remain on course to defend their title as they secured a comfortable 41-14 victory at a sold-out Mennaye Field.

Changes to the Cornish Pirates side that lost 47-10 away to Chinnor the previous weekend included a return to action for fit again full-back Iwan Price-Thomas and a place on the wing for Ben Cambriani.

In the forwards, Billy Young and Alfie Petch were selected as the props, whilst Aussies Rory Suttor and Luke Ratcliff were named as starters in the back-row, the latter replacing No.8 Jack Forsythe who was a late withdrawal because of injury.

Two Exeter Chiefs loanees were on the bench, former England Under 20s lock Joe Bailey and back Zack Wimbush who had made quite an impression when used as a replacement at home to Cambridge in November.

Before kick-off, Pirates’ centre Joe Elderkin led the side out on his 100th appearance for the club, but Tomiwa Agbongbon, Matt Cannon, and Harry Yates were all unavailable because of their dual registration with the Trailfinders.

With conditions good for playing running rugby, Ealing happily showed their class early on when space was created wide out right to enable lively wing Geordie Gwynn to score at the clubhouse corner. Fly-half Dan Jones followed up to kick a fine conversion.

The Pirates looked to respond firstly through a strong carry by Ratcliff and then a fine break by fly-half Arwel Robson, but there would be no home joy. Indeed, when the next points came it was Ealing who added to their score with a second converted try. Centre Francis Moore, a former ‘Saracen’, made the pass to ex-London Irish wing Michael Dykes who dashed in at the old scoreboard corner.

Ealing’s next five-pointer came from experienced scrum-half Craig Hampson, before fresh legs made an impact for the Pirates.

Replacement hooker Matt Pritchard scored his first league try of the season, and although flanker Kyle Hatherell twice got on the try-scoring sheet for the Trailfinders, the second of which was converted by Jones, the Pirates showed character right to the end.

Sol Moody was making his mark and, when there was an opportunity to drive to the line, the pack as a whole delivered the goods through prop Alessandro Heaney whose try, the final one in the match which was watched by a capacity crowd of 3,100, was again converted by Sinclair.

CORNISH PIRATES: 15 Iwan Price-Thomas, 14 Arthur Relton, 13 Chester Ribbons, 12 Joe Elderkin, 11 Ben Cambriani; 10 Arwel Robson, 9 Dan Hiscocks (capt); 1 Billy Young, 2 Morgan Nelson, 3 Alfie Petch; 4 Charlie Rice, 5 Alfie Bell; 6 Rory Suttor, 7 Josh King, 8 Luke Ratcliff. Replacements (all used): 16 Matt Pritchard, 17 Alessandro Heaney, 18 James French, 19 Joe Bailey, 20 Sol Moody, 21 Will Rigelsford, 22 Louie Sinclair, 23 Zack Wimbush.

Tries: Pritchard, Heaney; Convs: Sinclair (2); Pens: N/A.