Rosslyn Park 31 v Blackheath 25 The final statistics will show the only difference between these two sides as the immaculate kicking of Scott Sneddon.

The Rosslyn Park fly-half landed all five of his strikes at goal, adding a try to complete a 16-point haul for the match, while Club debutant Alex Gallagher only succeeded with two of his shots, although it must be said, the second was a pressure kick from the left touchline at the death to add a losing bonus point for his side to the one achieved for equalling the hosts four tries.

Conversely, Sneddon’s goals, though beautifully struck and including two from out wide, carried little such anxiety, because unpicking the detail of this contest reveals that Park had raced into a 24-0 lead by the 26th minute, an advantage that was never seriously threatened, despite Blackheath’s valiant fight-back in the final quarter.

In fact it had all gone horribly wrong for the visitors by the seventh minute. Blackheath knew that, with their heavyweight pack, Park would play a much more structured game than Fylde had done a week earlier and, sure enough, an early line-out saw scrum-half Luke Carter snipe around the fringes, before a strike against the head under the Club posts produced a diagonal run for Sneddon to cross for try number two.

Gallagher and Nick Agbo, playing at open-side in place of Dave Allen, found a couple of decent breaks, but the ball just wouldn’t go to hand for the visitors while, at the other end, a penalty extended the hosts’ lead, before a wayward pass fell neatly for wing Charlie Broughton to race away and stretch Park way into the distance.

At least Blackheath had parity at the line-out which produced tries either side of half-time. George Oram breached the Park defences on 36 minutes as the Club pack poked around the fringes, and shortly after the break a powerful drive saw Gavin O’Meara across.

The set-scrum though was another matter, and now this facet of the game returned to place Park back in command. As Blackheath conceded a second free-kick on their own ball, the hosts opted again for a set-piece, and as their eight their Club counterparts backwards. Carter glided over his second try and a 21-point lead.

Perhaps the Surrey side eased back, content with their work, but the pace and width Blackheath suddenly injected into the game, and the 15 unanswered points that accrued, left the visitors smiling while Park boss Alex Codling quietly smouldered - despite the final outcome.

On 66 minutes, Sneddon’s attempt to find touch on the farther side of the field landed in the grateful arms of Geoff Griffith’s whose own kick was fumbled allowing Jake Bedding to collect and score. Then, from Mike Canty’s mark deep in his twenty-two, the Club retained possession through numerous phases to take play to the opposition goal-line, and as Park second-row James Boyle was despatched for infringing, Canty again popped up to switch play across field for Richard Windsor to dive across.

Gallagher converted, and as Blackheath continued to press and won their late penalty, the youngster steadied his nerve in front of the main grandstand to give his side due reward for their efforts. Next Saturday, Blackheath return to Rectory Field for their first home match of the new campaign. Kick-off is 3.00 pm.

Rosslyn Park Tries: Carter 2, Sneddon, Broughton Conv: Sneddon 4 Pens: Sneddon

Blackheath Tries: Oram, O’Meara, Bedding, Windsor Conv: Gallagher Pens: Gallagher