Rugby union: Blackheath fail to impress in 53-8 defeat at Chinnor

Both sides entered this contest with four wins from six matches, and with just one point and one place separating them in the National League One table.

However there was nothing even about this contest, a match that saw Blackheath plunge from the high of putting 52 points on Cinderford, to the depths of conceding a half century a week later.

Chinnor were undoubtably a cut above any opposition Blackheath had encountered this season to date, showing pace out wide behind a solid pack, but nothing can disguise this nine-try-to-one showing being the poorest Club performance for a good while.

It started well enough, a series of four quick penalties hauling the visitors up field, and giving Tom Ffitch the opportunity to put Blackheath 3-0 ahead on eight minutes.

Nevertheless, by falling off tackles, the Club quickly fell 12-3 behind, as Chinnor right-wing Joe Browning scored two of his total of four tries.

Tight-head Rob Hardwick added a third on 23 minutes and had impatience not caused Chinnor to cough up three penalties on the Club goal-line, the Oxfordshire side would have been out of sight by the interval.

At 17-3, however, Blackheath were still in the contest, but the third quarter fully belonged to Chinnor as they dominated the set-piece, turned over possession, and ran in four further tries.

Open-side Max Clementson drove across for his second and the four-try bonus, before Browning added two more and Josh Gillespie crossed on the opposite wing.

A long pass saw Chris Bell score out wide for Blackheath, as the game loosened up and the visitors enjoyed a brief moment of pressure and if one positive could be taken, it was the sight of Paul Schroter and Mark Cooke back in action off the bench after lengthy lay-offs.

Chinnor finished in the ascendancy as number-eight Will Ryan smashed his way through for a try, and Gillespie added his second.

The National Leagues now take a break for a couple of weekends as the Rugby World Cup reaches its climax.

Blackheath return to action with a visit to Plymouth Albion on November, 4 before they host Richmond at The Utilita a week later.

PICTURES: DEBORAH LLOYD

Main Pic: Jake Hennessey