Blackheath 39 Stourbridge 35 (From News Shopper)

Blackheath 39 Stourbridge 35

7:48pm Sunday 25th April 2010 in

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THIS was a terrific open game and one from which both these sides gain enough to guarantee themselves National League One rugby next season.

Blackheath though it is who take a deserved victory, even if they only just managed to extinguish resistance from an opposition who refused to lie down and die.

The period prior to the interval was when the hosts edged into a lead they would not relinquish.

Stour fly-half Sam Robinson had given the visitors the early advantage with a well executed chip and chase to cross under the uprights while Blackheath took a while to settle down.

But with a man in the sin-bin the Club somehow managed to find another gear.

A great weaving run from 17-year old wing Ben Ransom sent Tyson Lewis breaking through tackles for a first try and two minutes later a break from a quickly taken tap-penalty from scrum-half Luke Baldwin set the platform from which the ball was spread across field for full-back Paul Humphries to send Lewis racing over for a second and a 15-10 lead at the break.

James Catt broke off the base of a scrum, dummying his way through the defence before off-loading to replacement wing Dan Caprice to cross on 49 minutes, while a couple of penalties for Stour full-back Jon Higgins and a converted try from prop Adam Sturdy kept Stourbridge in close contention.

However, flanker Dave Allen was driven over on 66 minutes, after skipper Tom Bason had collected a close-range line-out, and Lewis rounded off a fine move to complete his hat-trick and extend Blackheath’s lead to 16 points.

Two late tries through Stour number-eight Rupert Cooper and wing Ryan Watkins brought the visitors two deserved bonus points.

Blackheath close their league campaign next Saturday at home to Tynedale (KO 3.00 pm). A Blackheath U18 side will play a Kent Select Barbarians U18s XV in a second game, KO 7.00 pm, in aid of the 4 Drew Memorial Trust.

Blackheath Tries: Lewis 3, Caprice, Allen (Dave). Conv: Humphries 4. Pens: Humphries 2. Stourbridge Tries: Robinson, Sturdy, Cooper, Watkins. Conv: Higgins 3. Pens: Higgins 3