Wharfedale 12 Blackheath 52.

As emphatic a victory as the scoreline suggests.

Apart from a brief interlude midway through the second period when Wharfedale, with their vociferous crowd roaring them on, rallied to cross the try-line on two occasions, Blackheath were in complete control in this eight try trouncing, their first half-century haul for over a year and their biggest margin of victory since March 2010.

On this bright autumnal afternoon in the Yorkshire Dales, the visitors were on the scoreboard within a minute. As Alex Gallagher kicked for touch from the first penalty of the match, the Club pack drove towards the goal-line and with the Greens collapsing, referee Philip Davies awarded the penalty try.

Dave Allen was driven over from a similar move soon after and the visitors were twelve points ahead in fewer minutes.

A week earlier, Blackheath had scored the same number of points in another positive start, only to waste chances and allow their opponents from Blaydon the opportunity to claw back with interest.

This time around, however, the Club were not to be so careless and instead, led by their magnificent captain, acted with ruthless efficiency despite conceding an early edge at the set-scrum.

Tom Bason was imperious at the line-out, later pilfering opposition ball in their only serious attacking opportunity of the first period, but in the 26th minute the second-row was keen also to demonstrate his footballing skills. Hoofing forward ball which had fallen loose during a Wharfedale counter, Bason galloped ahead while the Dalesmen pondered and, kicking on again, grounded across the goal-line.

Despite being halted by a fine tackle from Greens’ outside-centre Matthew Van Sertima, Ollie Evans successfully made ball available for Geoff Griffiths to shake off further assailants and score on the half-hour. And as the interval approached, and Dale looked to salvage some consolation from a dire half of rugby for the Yorkshiremen, Richard Windsor reached above his head to intercept a pass from line-out ball, the wing racing away unopposed for a 33-0 lead at the break.

The Wharfeside Avenue ground features a significant end-to-end slope of which Blackheath had the advantage in the opening period, but it made little difference to the balance of play as the second period got underway.

Within three minutes of the re-start, Alex Gallagher cut through the midfield to add a try to his six conversions in an eventual haul of 17 points for the fly-half, and as Wharfedale’s discipline faltered, and Mr Davies rapidly dispatched two men to the sin-bin, the Club pack drove their depleted counterparts back for Jake Bedding to send Griffiths flopping across the line in the corner for try number seven.

Just for a moment, however, the tide turned. As the game flared up, and Seb Nagle-Taylor was temporarily removed from proceedings, the hosts found enough fire to work second-row Simon Willett across in the corner, followed by flanker Chris Howick sneaking over from a ruck.

With their crowd awaking to urge them on, Wharfedale may have sensed the possibility of salvaging a four-try bonus point, as they’d done in a similarly one-sided contest at Coventry the previous week, but Blackheath’s control returned to disappoint them.

An improved scrum and dominant line-out saw the visitors once again with the territorial advantage, and as possession was turned over in Dale’s half of the field, James Catt made the line-break for none other than Bason to scamper across and bring up the fifty.

Next Saturday, Blackheath return to Rectory Field for the visit of Cinderford. Kick-off is at 3.00 pm.

Wharfedale.

Tries: Willett, Howick.

Conv: Davidson.

Blackheath.

Tries: Penalty try, Allen, Bason 2, Griffiths 2, Windsor, Gallagher.

Conv: Gallagher 6.