Ealing Trailfinders were perfect last season, until they weren’t.

A never-before-seen record of 26 consecutive wins in the regular season was followed by a semi-final shock against eventual champions Worcester Warriors.

Both the result and manner of defeat sent shockwaves around West London, and the 26/27 season will now be a search for retribution.

At the forefront of those efforts will be prop Biyi Alo, who, despite missing much of last season through injury, has been a cornerstone for Trailfinders when fit. 

“We've still got things to improve on,” he said. “There's a sense that we know how to win games, but we also need to know how to keep it on when it matters.

“It's an odd one because the first time we felt that was in a very important game. There's that feeling amongst the squad, and it does hurt.

“[The Worcester game] will be remembered going into the games this season, which I think is important and will help us because we don't want to feel like that again.”

As is the norm for Trailfinders, there has been a significant squad overhaul following a disappointing end to the season.

Seventeen new faces have joined the ranks while 15 players have left Trailfinders Sports Club, as the men in green aim to regain the Elior Champ Rugby title.

Among them are names with top-level experience like ex-Saracens and Worcester scrum-half Gareth Simpson and former Scarlets back row Jarrod Taylor.

The wealth of talent streaming into Ealing means Alo was inundated with options for who to look out for this campaign.

He said: "I think all the new boys have slotted in really well. There's a lot of new intent and energy in the way we're trying to train and play.

“Hayden Hyde has definitely been a standout in the centres though. Mikey Summerfield is also going really well. He’s obviously really strong as prop but he’s also very detailed which is important.”

Trailfinders have looked imperious in pre-season, ensuring that they face top talent in preparation for their first Elior Champ Rugby game of the season at Chinnor.

The West Londoners travelled to Galway to take on Connacht, battling hard in a 26-14 defeat, before they swept aside Edinburgh ‘A’ 45-17 at home.

These performances will need to continue, as there is a case for almost every side across the division having strengthened over the summer.

The step up in talent is reflective of the increased buzz around the English second tier, which boasts a new title sponsor and fresh broadcast agreements, meaning there will be more eyes than ever watching on.

Despite improving talent entering the division, club captain Angus Kernohan is still hoping for another perfect regular season.

“I don't think there'll be any game that we will think we can't win,” he said. “I think that we are aware that there's a lot of strong teams, and if you look at the recruitment across the teams that finished at the top end of the table, they’ve recruited really well.

“Worcester, Coventry, Cornish Pirates, Doncaster, and all the others, they are extremely strong. But I think we'll enter every game aware that if we put our best foot forward, we'll be hard to beat.

“[Worcester] will bring confidence in big games, which is what they did last year, because during the season they weren't perfect and they did lose games, but towards the end of the season in the quarter, semis and the final, they looked really sharp.

“[The Champ] is extremely competitive, and I think if you look beyond any team, you could definitely lose. So, it'll be highly competitive.”

Played by professional and semi-professional players, Elior Champ Rugby provides a ‘Proving Ground’ for future stars. Watch every game live on Clubber TV and free-to-air on BLAZE on Sunday afternoons.