By Paul Smith 
Coventry scored three tries and produced some thrilling attacking rugby but still finished on the losing side against a clinical Ealing team whose replacements’ bench made a huge impact.
In a contest which was a superb advertisement for Championship rugby the Blue-and-Whites took a 13-12 advantage into the break.
However, experienced half-backs Craig Hampson and Craig Willis arrived from the bench to pin Cov in their own half for much of the closing stages of a match in which the defending champions eventually outscored their hosts by five tries to three.
Playing with the wind Liam Richman kicked the home side into an early three-point lead before their no.8 Senitiki Nayalo was yellow-carded for a dangerous tackle.
Although Dan Jones pushed the resulting penalty chance wide, Ealing quickly got themselves on the scoreboard when Jordan Holgate’s break sent former Cov no.15 Tobi Wilson over for a try that Dan Jones converted.
Ealing flanker Rob Farrar then burst dangerously through the middle but when he was brought down Matt Kvesic reacted fastest to win a penalty at the breakdown.
Ryan Hutler twice broke dangerously for Cov and when he chipped ahead and was taken out by Michael Dykes Trailfinders’ left winger took the seat in the sin bin that Nayalo had just vacated.
After Richman kicked the resulting penalty, at the other end home full back Charlie Robson produced a brilliant try-saving tackle on Reuben Bird-Tulloch.
Hutler then made another slashing break through the visitors’ midfield but was unable to get the try-scoring pass away to the supporting Robson.
With Coventry pounding the Ealing line a home try seemed inevitable until Dykes intercepted and raced 95 metres for the visitors’ second try.
Hutler was again at the centre of the action when he failed to hold Richman’s precise cross-kick inside the Ealing in-goal area.
But Cov were not to be denied and took a slender lead into the break after referee Dan Jones awarded a penalty try and sin-binned Matt Cornish for collapsing their powerful lineout drive.
The Blue-and-Whites pressed hard at the start of the second half but Robson was unable to finish a flowing move in the changing room corner.
And the visitors, who were now playing with the support of the elements, took control of the match either side of the hour mark with two well-constructed scores.
Dyke claimed the first of these after a sequence of forward thrusts created space on the left via some neat handling.
And after Jones added a fine conversion Farrar was driven over for Ealing’s bonus-point score by a powerful lineout drive.
Willis’ simple penalty extended the visitors’ advantage to 14 points before an error at a lineout allowed Matt Kvesic to send replacement hooker Will Biggs over for his second Coventry try.
Farrar then barged down the touchline to the corner to restore the Trailfinders’ advantage and Willis kicked a second penalty Tommy Mathews’ conversion of Fin Ogden’s maiden score gave Cov the last word.
Coventry: Robson; Hutler (Opoku 65), Tiueti, Hitchcock, Martin; Richman (Mathews 65), Barton (Ogden 68); Trinder (Warren 68), Poole (Biggs 68), Longwell (Salt 57); Nayalo, Nkwocha (Owen 65); Hinkley (Tyas 59), Ball, Kvesic
Ealing: Wilson; Kernohan, Bird-Tulloch, Holgate (Moore 77), Dykes; Jones (Willis 61), Williams (Hampson 50); Whyte (Zigiriadis 54), Cornish (Willemse 45-50 and 54), Davis (Alo 54); De Wee (Cutmore 50), Lonsdale; Farrar, Reid, Smid (Montgomery 68)
Referee: Dan Jones
Half-Time: Coventry Rugby 13-12 Ealing Trailfinders
Attendance: 4523
Scorers:
Coventry:
Tries: Penalty Try (38), Biggs (71), Ogden (80)
Conversions: Mathews (80)
Penalties: Richman (3) (21)
Ealing:
Tries: Wilson (11), Dykes (34) (56), Farrer (64) (77)
Conversions: Jones (11) (56)
Penalties: Willis (68) (78)
