Blackheath 44 Hull Ionians 19

 

A one-sided contest, with Blackheath at times showing real class, and scoring six excellent tries.  On the downside it was also a game that lapsed into periods of poor control and with plenty of errors, from both sides. 

 

However, the Club started the game at pace and their overall dominance was never in question once Freddie Owen took lineout ball from Mike Perks, the pack drove forward, and Markus Burcham sent Henry Staff through the defensive line in only the fourth minute.

 

Freddie Gabbitass’ cross-field punt saw a defensive error for Jake Lloyd to touch down in the corner, and although the pace slowed, and Ionians’ outside-centre Jack Colbourne’s intercept (after a wayward pass) allowed the visitors to respond with their opening score, Stef Liebenberg’s delightful backward pass sent Owen through another defensive hole to add a third for the hosts.

 

Jack Rouse, making his Club debut at blind-side, turned over possession in midfield for Lloyd to make a strong break down the right flank, the Club wing held just short, and Mike Perks on hand to complete the bonus point score.  And although Ionians’ second-row Tom Peters reached out across the goal-line to keep the visitors in touch, at 24-12 Blackheath held the upper hand at the interval.

 

Any prospect of a miraculous comeback was stifled by the hour-mark as two Gabbitass penalties, both for scrum infringements, sandwiched a lovely show-and-go from Burcham to put Ben Ransom over for a try and a 37-12 advantage.

 

Nevertheless, the Yorkshiremen kept battling and prop Joshua Peace’s try on 66 minutes from a close-range tap-penalty gave them a glimmer of a four-try bonus. But in their eagerness, ball fell loose in attack, and as Blackheath broke out of defence through Lloyd, the Club right-wing sent his left-wing colleague Craig Dowsett away from 40-metres to close out the match.  

 

Next Saturday, Blackheath travel to Cheshire to face Sale FC.  Kick-off at Heywood Road is 2.00 pm.

 

Blackheath

 

Tries:   Staff, Lloyd, Owen, Perks, Ransom, Dowsett

Conv:  Gabbitass 3, Cooke

Pens:   Gabbitass 2

 

Hull Ionians

 

Tries:   Colbourne, Peters, Peace

Conv:  Titchener 2