Club come out on top in battle of elements

Blackheath ........ 12

Cambridge ............ 3

THE conditions ranged from difficult to almost impossible in this contest as Blackheath edged out Cambridge in a low-scoring affair.

At least that’s a sentiment Joe Tarrant might agree with.

Early in the second period, and with a ferocious hail storm in his face, the unfortunate Cambridge, and former Blackheath, full-back lost his footing coming to meet Mark Cooke’s punt forward, and as the ball bounced kindly for the hosts, Alex Pickersgill gathered and raced over for a crucial try.

Cooke added a superb conversion from out wide, and at 12-3 down, with the elements firmly against them and Josh Poole consistently turning over possession for Blackheath, Cambridge were left with a mountain they could not scale.

The visitors had the better start, a Ben Penfold penalty on four minutes giving them an early lead, while Blackheath failed to make their early territorial advantage count.

Tom Burns’ break off the blind side of a scrum put the Club on the attack, but three times lineout ball went astray and even though the hosts had dominance at the scrum, the greasy ball was all too easily lost forward.

Nevertheless, on 28 minutes, lineout ball on halfway did produce decent ball, and as Nick Foster and Leo Fielding combined down the right flank for the best move of the match, the former scored the try that put Blackheath 5-3 ahead at the break.

That was before Pickersgill’s score effectively sealed it with just 42 minutes on the clock, with Cambridge unable to muster a response.