Birmingham & Solihull Bees 3

Ealing Trailfinders 35

If Russell Earnshaw's first job of the summer rebuild was to find individuals to wear the Bees shirt, his next is to create a collective capable of doing it more justice than its recent predecessor.

And the evidence of these 80 thought-provoking minutes is that there much to be done. Having brought some decent prospects to Damson Park in response to the relegation-induced exodus, the hosts' lack of integration was a stark contrast to Ealing's smooth effectiveness.

The Londoners continued in the same ebullient vein that last season saw them canter to the National Two South title and promotion and in Owen Bruynseels, Phil Chesters and Peter Hodgkinson they possessed a slick back three which made the most of their dominance.

What Earnshaw would do for three such talented individuals. That would be if talent had not become something of a dirty word in Solihull in the last few months.

The director of rugby is convinced it counted for little last term, especially when the stakes were at their highest and he felt Bees' mercurial game-breakers went into hiding.

With that in mind he has themed his summer recruitment as 'Character over Ability' and assembled a relatively low-profile group of players in whom he is more willing to place his trust.

However, he must impart a little know-how too - especially in the set-piece where Bees struggled in the scrum and laboured in the lineout.

Without a regular flow of possession, his star-free side will not be able to create the sort of pressure that will bring them points.They certainly failed to do that against Ealing.

When they did produce attacking opportunities their lineout failed to reclaim the ball, their kicks drifted into touch or their off-loads went to ground.

And although they improved markedly in the second half, even when they were ascendant they rarely looked like breaking the visitors line.

What they must do in the next few weeks is develop a weapon that will keep them in games and give them cause to retain a reason to believe.

With the impressive Warwick Lahmert pulling the strings at scrum half, the willing running of lock Tom Quarrie and the panache of Chris Brightwell they have the start of something.

But even though only one game has gone, time is ticking and unless there is significant improvement thoughts will soon stray into the negative. After all no-one wants another Manchester in the division.

BEES: Winter; Clarke, Lowden,Connolly, Pons; Hawkes, Lahmert; Long (Padian 76), Preece, Tau (Darkintis 69), Quarrie, Todd (White 54), Brightwell (Webster 71), Reeves, Earnshaw.

Replacement: Gale

EALING:Hodgkinson; Bruynseels, Damant (Wardingley 70), Price, Chesters; Hallett, Thompson (Gibbs 70); Neville (Brown 56), Alexopoulos (Riley 79), Brockett, Curry (Gaynor 56), Twomey, Gibson, Starling, Evans.

Referee: Terry Hall (RFU)