Rugby: Blackheath unable to slow down title charge of Rams
Blackheath found National League One leaders Rams too strong as they lost 33-14 at Old Bath Road on Saturday.
It was a valiant effort from Club in a hard-fought and sometimes tetchy contest.
Rams scored five tries, all from set-play moves, to make it 10 out of 10 wins, and keep their quest for promotion to the Championship firmly on course.
Blackheath started positively. Within the first minute, they forced Rams into conceding a five-metre scrum, and as ball was twice held up over the goal-line, two similar opportunities would have accrued, had it not been for a recent and much-unloved law change that rewards the defending side and allowed them to clear.
With a largely dominant scrum, however, the pendulum swung towards the Berkshire side, the pressure on the visitors demonstrated by the concession of 10 first half penalties. Although the match remained scoreless for the opening half-hour, two blows prior to the interval put the hosts on the front foot.
A short lineout move saw Rams’ skipper and hooker Max Hayman devour a gap to cross for a try, quickly followed by centre Solodrau Radianirova gobbling-up a cross-field kick, to send full-back Zach Clow racing home from 50 metres.
Fly-half Fraser Honey added both conversions to chew out a 14-0 lead at the break.
Blackheath ate a chunk out of the advantage after the restart. As Jake Hennessey and Will Davis attacked down the left flank, the loose-head drove close before Billy Harding finished off, only for another lineout move – enabling Rams number eight Robbie Stapley to drive across – to put the hosts 19-7 ahead.
Blackheath’s lineout also functioned well and although a rare blemish saw ball overthrown on 63 minutes, Oskar Hisrkyj-Douglas moved up from centre to mop up, Jordan Burns spotted a gap, and Archie Holland sent open-side Noah Sloot across for the try. Tom Ffitch’s conversion narrowed the gap to just five points.
Honey saw a long-range penalty attempt rattle the upright, but it was not long before Rams were stretching out again.
Another move blind off a short throw had flanker Morgan MacRae touching down in the corner, before Radianirova made sure, another lineout play seeing the outside-centre hit a pass at pace to crash through the midfield for the fifth Rams try.
Blackheath return to The Utilita Well Hall tomorrow for the visit of Ding’s Crusaders (3pm).
Wimbledon are third in Regional 1 South Central after a 31-29 home win over Horsham on Saturday.
PICTURES: DEBORAH LLOYD