Fresh off a staggering 43-26 win against last year’s Premiership winners, Northampton Saints, Ealing Trailfinders will head down to Sandy Park, Exeter, on Saturday (8 March 2025) to face Exeter Chiefs in a battle for a place in the final. Ealing are the last Championship team standing.
The local team has done Ealing proud in their quest to prove themselves against notable Premiership sides.
In recent years, Ealing and Exeter have not faced each other. However, Trailfinders fans may expect to see some familiar faces on the opposing side this weekend. Props Will Goodrick-Clarke and Jimmy Roots both left Ealing at the end of the 2023-24 season to join Exeter.
Ealing were the last Championship team remaining in last year’s Premiership Cup when they also made it to the semi-finals, sadly losing their place in a home game against Leicester Tigers. The latter won, 29-21, but did not win the cup overall after losing to Gloucester in the final.
But this time around, Trailfinders are hoping to go all the way after last week’s statement win.
Both teams so far have had a similar run in the Cup, Ealing winning five out of seven games and Exeter winning six. Ealing’s two losses came against Harlequins in their pool, whilst Exeter lost to Gloucester in their pool. Both beat Premiership teams in their respective quarter finals to make it here.
In their respective club competitions, the two teams could not be more different. In the Championship, Ealing sit in first place, whilst in the Premiership, Exeter have struggled and currently sit in ninth place.
Both teams have significant drive to win this week’s semi-final. Ealing want to show themselves as a force to be reckoned with, who can compete with Premiership teams and deserve promotion, after being ineligible last year. Exeter have had a difficult season and a win would put them one step closer to being the first club to win the Premiership Cup twice.
 to face Exeter Chiefs in a battle for a place in the final. Ealing are the last Championship team standing.){kind=link}