Rosslyn Park 6 Blackheath 25

In their opening match of the season a week ago, Blackheath had crossed the try-line within two minutes of the start. 

On Rosslyn Park’s artificial playing surface at the Rock they did it again (after a minute and 40 seconds to be precise) and it set them on the road to an impressive victory over their south London rivals and one their oldest adversaries.

As the visitors claimed possession following their own kick-off, a delightful inside ball from Joe Tarrant sent Tom Chapman through the midfield and with the ruck formed on the Park goal-line, Harry Bate drove across for a 7-0 lead.

Chapman might have scored himself on 26 minutes.  Having clawed back three points through a Harry Leonard penalty, Park snagged a Club line-out on half-way, but a loose pass allowed Josh Davies to break and chip forward with his right-wing in support, and as the hosts went of their feet to kill the ball on their own goal-line, resulting in a yellow card for number-eight Henry Spencer, Blackheath settled for the easy kick at goal on offer.

Again Leonard trimmed back the lead with three points following a scrum infringement, but against a solid defence, Park were unable to make any serious inroads into the Club twenty-two, bar one line-out which suffered from a wayward throw, and with the break approaching, it was Blackheath who struck again.

As Matt Miles rampaged forward through a gap at the breakdown, the visitors kept play alive through the phases despite numerous Park infringements, and with Bate and Tom Baldwin punching holes, and Chapman again going close, it was Tarrant, timing his run to perfection, who found space to cross, the Club fly-half adding his second conversion for a 17-6 lead.

An all-weather pitch may make for consistent footing, but it can do little to keep the ball dry, and the sharp thunderstorm that greeted the players as they returned for the second period inevitably played its part, with the greasy ball continuously, and frustratingly, slipping from grasp as Blackheath pressed in the third quarter.

Park, on the other hand, and despite a couple of line-out steals, continued to meet a brick wall defence, exemplified by a thumping midfield tackle from Markus Burcham, and it was an infringement at a throw in the closing stages that enabled Blackheath to move the game further away from the hosts with Tarrant knocking over the 75th minute penalty.

A losing bonus point was still within range for the hosts, but as the Surrey side tried to build from deep in defence, the ball was fumbled into the grateful hands of Freddie Owen who scampered away for the final score.  

Next Saturday sees Blackheath return to Well Hall for the visit of Ampthill.  Kick off at is at 3.00 pm.

Rosslyn Park

Pens:    Leonard 2

Blackheath

Tries:   Bate, Tarrant, Owen

Conv:  Tarrant 2

Pens:    Tarrant 2