Slow start not a problem for Club

NOT quite the average 61 points these two sides have produced in previous meetings, but a majority of the Well Hall crowd will be satisfied with 58, including nine tries, and all coming after a scoreless opening quarter where Blackheath were pinned in their 22.

Nevertheless, once the game opened up it stayed open, with both sides capable of striking from almost anywhere, and although Blackheath held sway, Cambridge never allowed them to relax.

The shackles were broken in the 24th minute as the hosts broke out of defence and recycled ball saw Leo Fielding cross for the first try, quickly cancelled out by Matt Hema scoring from a Cambridge lineout on halfway.

But it was then that Blackheath took control with two quick scores from Tom Chapman and Dan George, both coming from deep.

Fielding added a penalty, before Tom Nutley again responded for the visitors for 20-12 at the break. Laurence Hutchinson added a further try for Cambridge from a lineout move to again cut the deficit to eight after Terry Read had been driven over for the hosts.

However, with Devin Montgomery powering Blackheath’s scrum, Chapman’s second effectively sealed it despite Chris Leathem’s late bonus-point score.

TEAMS

BLACKHEATH: Fielding, Griffiths, Burcham, Cooke, Chapma, Whatling, Eydmann, Croall, George, Read, Gillanders, Montgomery, Owen, Baldwin, Nilsson. Replacements: Fry, Scutt, Stradwick, Lloyd, Davies

CAMBRIDGE: Lewis, Hutchinson, Hema, Ayrton, Leathem, Green, Liebenberg, Naqasima, Griffiths, Langley, Schoeman, Bretag-Norris, Nutley, Johnson, Meek

Replacements: Ruddock, Jones, Laxton, Trotter, White REFEREE: Shane Lewis ATTENDANCE: 869 Star man Devin Montgomery - Blackheath