After Bedford Blues beat Ealing Trailfinders, who's playing where this weekend

Swifts' Ethan Griffiths scored two tries against Brackley

Round-up of results and fixtures

Bedford Blues sent shockwaves through the rugby world with a sensational 31-19 bonus-point victory over Championship leaders Ealing Trailfinders, which blows title race wide open.

A heroic defensive display combined with making themost of their scoring chances, ensured one of Blues’ greatest ever Championship away victories.

They won at Trailfinders Sports Club for the first time since October 2015 – inflicting Ealing’s first regular season home defeat since December 2019.

After a frustrating start to the year this was a near perfect performance, coming back from 14-12 down at half time.

Tries came from Matt Worley, Ollie Newman, Danny Hobbs-Awoyemi, Jack Hughes and Jamie Elliott.

Sixth-placed Blues have now beaten three of the Championship’s runaway top four and they hope to complete the set for the season when Cornish Pirates visit Goldington Road this weekend.

For Ampthill, returning from two blank weeks, they will host Richmond at Dillingham Park. Their visitors are one place and three points below Ampthill in the table, but have played one less game.

Doncaster have taken over at the top of the table, with Jersey Reds second, Trailfinders third and Pirates fourth.

A rollercoaster couple of weeks for Bedford Swifts, as after a good draw against the league leaders, news broke that a player registration hadn’t been filed correctly and a 10-point penalty may be applied.

The goal of promotion may now be tough but the team had to put this out of their minds, ahead of their 42-31 win over formidable promotion hopefuls Brackley.

In a hugely physical encounter Swifts’ try scorers were James Little, Rhys Thornton, Alex Smith, Adam Raura 2 and Ethan Griffiths 2.

Swifts visit Deepings this weekend, again in Midlands 4 East (South).

Bedford Athletic, top of Midlands 1 East by 19 points, were 33-27 winners over Market Harborough.

Athletic next head to midtable Oadby Wyggestonians .

Bedford Queens were beaten 36-26 by Rushden & Higham in Midlands 3 East (South) and host Spalding on Saturday.