Ealing Trailfinders will be extending their Greene King IPA Championship campaign – the second tier of English professional rugby – for at least two more weeks when they take on Yorkshire Carnegie in the play-off semi-finals over the next two Fridays.

The semi-final pitches second placed Carnegie against third-placed Ealing Trailfinders, while table toppers London Irish face fourth place Doncaster Knights.

At stake for the winners is a place in the Aviva Premiership alongside the likes of Saracens, Wasps, Leicester Tigers and Harlequins among others.

Vallis Way in West Ealing hosts the first semi this Friday, while the second takes place at Carnegie’s Headingley Carnegie Stadium on May 5.

Both kick off at 7.45pm and both will be live on Sky Sports.

The team's progression to a maiden play-off place is testament to the hard work of director of rugby Ben Ward, head coach Alex Codling and the squad.

Last season they only guaranteed their place in the Championship in their penultimate match of the season, but have made great strides this campaign and also reached the British and Irish Cup semi-finals.

They have been led by the hugely-experienced Mark Bright, who played for 7s for England at the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and has been nominated for the Championship Player of the Year Award.

“Reaching the play-offs for the first time this season has been a remarkable achievement for everyone involved, chiefly the players, but today is going to be another step up again,” said Ward.

“The intensity will be higher and the pressure is larger because the rewards are huge.”

Ealing Trailfinders and Yorkshire Carnegie are no strangers to one another and this Friday’s match will be the fifth time that they have met this season.

Ealing Trailfinders’ best result came when they met in the Cup at Vallis Way and finished with a 51-35 victory in October that kick-started their season

Carnegie have won the other three encounters, most recently a 33-20 win at Headingley on the final day of the season.

They are led by former Scotland captain Bryan Redpath and have their eyes firmly fixed on a place in the final after missing out last year.

“We are up against a club who knows what it is like to be involved in the play-offs and one that will want to make up for missing out on the final last year,” Ward said.

“We have also had a taste of what they can do when they hit their stride, as they did in the second half of our match at Headingley Carnegie Stadium which they won 33-20.

“If we want to reach the final, we will need to be at our best today and next Friday at Headingley.”

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