Rugby union: Blackheath let draw slip after drop-goal winner by Rotherham Titans’ Ollivent
A drop-goal from Corben Ollivent, as the clock ticked past the 80-minute mark, denied Blackheath what would have been a hard-fought National League One draw as they were edged out 15-12 at Rotherham Titans on Saturday, writes Graham Cox.
With Storm Darragh producing a swirling wind, a greasy ball, and an increasingly cut-up playing surface, the Yorkshiremen worked a position in front of the uprights for the Titans fly-half to snatch victory.
On balance, it will go down as a deserved win for the former Championship side, going through something of a resurgence after dropping two levels.
Rotherham had the majority of territory and pressure, and while Blackheath edged a lineout which was often a lottery in the conditions, the Titans’ scrum enjoyed huge dominance, winning a number of penalties.
That said, errors in the opposition’s 22 hampered the hosts early on, and it was the visitors who struck first. As Jake Hennessey sent ball high into the gloom from full-back on 13 minutes, Leo Fielding sprinted forward to make a brilliant take, Matt Armstrong made a few more metres, before the ball moved its way back to Fielding, the outside-centre’s long pass found Jake Lloyd to cross in the corner for a 5-0 lead.
It was inevitable that Rotherham’s pressure would eventually count. As the hosts pressed following a five-metre scrum, ball passed its way to left-wing Aidan Shorthall to level the score at the break, and as the Yorkshiremen picked and drove again after the restart, scrum-half JB Bruzulier spotted a gap to flop over the goal-line for a second try. Lloyd Hayes’ conversion put them 12-5 ahead.
Nevertheless, as they had done in the first period, Blackheath made the most of limited chances, and with Oskar Hirshkyj-Douglas arriving off the bench to shrug away tacklers, and Jordan Burns making further ground, Markus Burcham twisted and offloaded to Lloyd for the wing’s second try. Tom Ffitch’s outstanding touchline conversion levelled the scores once again.
It looked as if Blackheath’s resolute defence would cling on for the draw, but as an adjudged knock-on handed Rotherham a last-ditch scrum, the hosts had the perfect platform to set up Ollivent to do the rest.
Blackheath return to The Utilita Well Hall next week for two home fixtures before the Christmas break. On Saturday they face Leicester Lions, before Bishop’s Stortford are the visitors on December 21. Both matches kick-off at 3pm.