Doncaster Knights v Ealing Trailfinders: Premiership calibre off the pitch versus Premiership ready on it, but neither can go up

Ealing sit top of the RFU Championship as the league resumes after a lengthy break, in control of their own title destiny after winning 11 of 12 games and opening up a 13-point gap.

Unfortunately, though, their promotion destiny is not in their own hands, taken from them this week when the Rugby Football Union announced the West London club had once again failed the minimum standards criteria the governing body sets for entry into the Premiership.

In fact, the only team that applied for and was told they would be granted entry into the Premiership should they win the Championship, was Doncaster.

The only problem is, Yorkshire’s highest team in the union pyramid are eighth in the 12-team table, 29 points adrift of Ealing.

Premiership standard off the pitch in their Castle Park surroundings, but not on it, meaning there will be no promotion or relegation this season for anyone.

Newcastle Falcons will have been relieved to hear that. The Premiership’s bottom club is in dire financial straits amid reports they could follow fellow top-flight clubs Wasps, Worcester and London Irish in going bust. Adding further folly to the RFU’s rules on who is fit for promotion and who isn’t, Ealing further underlined their prowess on the pitch by beating Saracens home and away in the group stages of the Premiership Cup, before knocking out Northampton Saints in the quarter-finals and running Exeter close in the semis.

Doncaster managed to give Newcastle a fright and also won at Sale. These will have been much-changed Premiership teams, but they were feathers in the cap of Ealing and Doncaster players.

Morgan Strong, Doncaster’s back-row forward, said: “I feel like the cup in general has been huge for us this year. We should have beaten Newcastle in the first block, we should have beaten Sale at home.

“Then to nil Caldy and beat Sale on TNT on a Friday night. The first Doncaster side to beat a Premiership side, that was pretty special.”

Premiership promotion aside, there is still plenty riding on Saturday’s game at Castle Park. Despite their struggles this year, Doncaster are the only side to inflict defeat on Ealing this season, winning by a single point at Vallis Way. Joe Ford’s men also beat Ealing last May.

“They’re kind of the easiest team to get up for in the Championship because you know that if you don’t turn up on the day, they’re a bloody good team,” said Strong.

“If we graft hard for 80 minutes, keep ourselves in the game, anything can happen.”

Ring rust might be a problem for Ford’s men; they haven’t played for five weeks due to the Six Nations and the latter stages of the Premiership Cup, although that was only three knockout rounds.

It means Doncaster have sat on the feelgood vibes of beating Caldy and Sale for over a month, and must now cram 10 fixtures into 11 weeks up until May 31.

“I think first of all, it’s quite nice to have a break sometimes,” said Strong. “We’ve played so many games this season, I think up to 20 already, including pre-season.

“We’ve come back and been out hiking, lots of team bonding, a lot of hard work. We’ve kind of treated it as a mini pre-season, with a lot of like mentally challenging stuff.

“And I think after the last week of training, we’ve sort of come together nicely. We’re ready for Ealing.”