Tynedale 31 v Blackheath 10

Five tries for the home side, four scored by the same player, settled this basement battle at the foot of the SSE National League One table, adding to Blackheath’s woes while giving Tynedale their third bonus point victory since the start of 2014.

And although, on this occasion, an outside-centre was the beneficiary of the Northumberland side’s resurgence in form, all of the hosts’ scores were built on their forward dominance.

Twice in the opening period, in the eleventh and 25th minutes, penalties to touch saw the Tyne pack maul towards the Club goal-line, Ben Frankland adding his weight to proceedings before taking possession and flopping over for the tries.

A third score came in almost identical fashion, again on the left flank, in the 52nd minute, before Tyne’s dominant scrum, which had Blackheath in a tiz throughout the match, gained its reward on the hour with a penalty try.  And then, soon after, Frankland completed his efforts, again with the assistance of his pack, but this time finishing the move unaided, having peeled away from his support.

Were Blackheath in the contest?  Certainly they were, especially at the start when they forced Tynedale into conceding four penalties in the opening six minutes, the final of which David Marshall converted for an early lead.

The Club’s line-out too had more than an edge in the first period, but every time the visitors made ground the superb boot for Tyne full-back Craig Willis (who added an excellently struck conversion from out wide to the first try) cleared the hosts’ lines and kept Blackheath pinned back.

Nevertheless, with half an hour played, the Club pack found their own drive which went 20-metres before lock Andy Buist brought it down, earning himself a yellow card as well as conceding the penalty try, bringing Blackheath within two points of their opponents.  And when blind-side Dan Temm followed his teammate to the sin-bin moments after, the visitors had a real opportunity to take the ascendancy.

But with the depleted Tyne pack successfully defending a further drive on half-time, followed by Blackheath messing up a promising move after the re-start, the moment was lost, and as the home pack returned to full strength and continued to deny the Club front-foot ball (which might have brought their back division, which included loaned players Dante Mama and James Ticknell, into the game) the visitors offered no further threat.

Next Saturday Blackheath look to reverse their fortunes as they host Esher at Rectory Field, kick-off 3.00 pm.

Tynedale

Tries:   Frankland, Penalty try
Conv: Willis 3

Blackheath

Tries:   Penalty try
Conv: Marshall
Pens: Marshall