Christmas Eve clash beckons
We look ahead to Saturday's top-of-the-table Christmas Eve clash between Ealing Trailfinders and Jersey Reds.
Few would have predicted that both Ealing Trailfinders and Jersey Reds would remain unbeaten one week out from Christmas, but that's exactly the situation that these two sides find themselves in ahead of their much-anticipated showdown at the Trailfinders Sports Ground on 24 December. For context, Ealing and Jersey had already lost two games apiece at this stage last year, but both have shown a new ruthlessness in dealing with whatever challenges have been laid in front of them this season, to set up a fascinating encounter on Saturday. If you're not able to get to West London to watch the action in person, fear not, as the match will be live streamed on championshiprugby.co.uk, with coverage starting at 11:45 GMT, ahead of a midday kick off.
With a star-studded cast, including internationally capped players, former Sevens stars, ex-Waratahs, and some of the brightest up and coming talent outside of the Gallagher Premiership, there are plenty of names to look out for on Saturday.
The match pits the league's highest 'home' scorers [Ealing Trailfinders, 233 pts] against the highest 'away' scorers [Jersey Reds, 183 pts], and there will be several players hoping to build on a prolific start to the 2022/23 campaign.
Carlo Tizzano made an instant impression after joining Ealing Trailfinders from the NSW Waratahs over the summer, so much so that the Australian openside flanker is now the Championship's runaway top-try-scorer with 11 tries in 11 appearances across the league and cup, including a brace in his last outing against Bedford Blues on 10 December. Leading the chasing pack in the try-scoring charts are Tizzano's teammate, scrum-half Jordan Burns, and Jersey's front row powerhouse Antonio TJ Harris, who both have 8 to their name already this season.
Trailfinders' marksmen, Craig Willis and Steven Shingler, have generally split kicking duties between them, with 66 and 47 points to their name, respectively, while Jersey's Russell Bennett has impressed in the 10 shirt since joining from Ampthill, racking up 55 points this season.
The battle between the two sets of forwards is set to be a fierce encounter, with arguably the most dominant packs in the league going head-to-head for the first time on Saturday. Ealing have relied on their forwards to get over the whitewash more than their opponents so far this season [53% of all tries vs 40%], and purists will no doubt be licking their lips at the prospect of seeing who comes out on top at the set-piece.
One of the Trailfinders' strengths this season has been the ability to put in consistent 80 minute performances and rally late on to secure try bonus points when needed, with 62% of their tries coming in the second half. In contrast, Jersey Reds have a relatively even points per half split, but have dropped try bonus points on two occasions this season, against Doncaster Knights and Cornish Pirates.
Whatever your plans are this Christmas, make sure you tune in and join Joe Byrnes and Dewi Morris for the most anticipated match of the season, live here on championshiprugby.co.uk from 11:45 GMT this Saturday.