Bandits 35-51 England Deaf
While much of the Club’s attention was on the games in Richmond on Saturday, England men’s and women’s Deaf teams visited Well Hall, where they had been scheduled to play against Wales’s corresponding teams. With Wales unable to fulfil the fixtures, Blackheath were invited to step in. A ‘Barbarians’ Women’s team built around the Club Women, and the Bandits, reinforced by a handful of players from KCH RFC took on their corresponding England representative opponents. The Barbars ran out winners in the womens’game, and while the Bandits came second in their match, there was much about the game to enjoy.
With the England team a mixture of their regular internationals and community players, there was necessarily a significant step up for the Bandits. A bright start for both teams ended with England opening the scoring after ten minutes, with the Club side still adjusting to the visitors’ pace and physicality. After a break in play for a nasty cut to the head of one of the England props, the international team doubled their lead, and seemed dominant in the set piece. Additionally, the Bandits struggled to make first-up tackles stick, and looked like going further behind after wing Jonny Moore was bumped off a tackle, only for the referee to judge that a forearm had been used illegally. Thankfully the Club looked threatening in the wide channels, with James Maresca-Harmer, Alex Omeyer and skipper Kai Roper-Blackman all able to beat their opposite man. Getting clean ball to them proved problematic, however. Scrum penalties started to come freely for England, and a third try came on the half-hour mark after a series of attempted tackles failed to stop their hard-running and hefty inside centre.
Blackheath regained possession after the restart though, and after a string of infringements by England, the Bandits had an opportunity to run a short penalty move. Number 8 Cam Squire crashed over, to which Nathan Brindle added the conversion. Unfortunately, England restored their 3-score advantage moments later, with another line break in the centre and a smart offload to a supporting flanker. Four minutes later a further England try came in much the same style, followed by a fifth score from a kick through and a breakaway moments later, which seemed to take the internationals out of sight.
Blackheath needed half-time and responded well after the break. A deep England restart was caught by scrum-half Lewis Stone, the ball went through the hands to Roper-Blackman who broke away, supported by Omeyer, who fed the ball to Maresca-Harmer who sped up the wing to score a fine try. Frustratingly, the Bandits then presented England with a gift in the form of an interception on their own 22, and the visitors re-extended their lead. The game became scrappier thereafter, but Blackheath rallied well as both sides made changes. Brindle dabbed a kick behind the England back line and Moore chased it down, gathered and sprinted away for a quick try. England responded again with a score of their own, and then it was Blackheath’s turn to enjoy some possession and territory. After Roper-Blackman and Moore were denied in the wide channel, the Club were awarded a penalty 6 metres from the England line which player-coach Andy Lock tapped, and bumped his way over. After weathering more England pressure over the next fifteen minutes, Omeyer was able to break away and find Moore in space, who left the chasers behind and cantered in for his second score. Brindle’s conversions were immaculate throughout, and although England had the last word with one final try, the Bandits were rightly proud of having put 35 points on a physically impressive international side.
All support on the touchline was much appreciated by the Bandits players and coaches, and if community fixtures against representative sides of this nature are to be more common, that can only be a good thing for the game. The Bandits management sends its congratulations to the women’s section for their victory in the earlier match and its well-wishes to both England teams, and hopes that days like Saturday will be a more common occurrence.
Andy Lock
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