Photos courtesy of Harry Phillips
A fine match played in testing conditions from which both sets of combatants can take huge credit.
Ultimately, on a very gusty afternoon at Shaftesbury Park, it was six tries, including a brace from Jake Hennessey, and hat-trick from Billy Harding, the Club skipper and hooker’s second of the campaign, that gave the visitors their fourth bonus-point victory in the five rounds of the National League One season so far.
Hennessey’s first score came within two minutes as Kyle McGhie at scrum half kept Blackheath moving quickly through the phases, Ed Dunford came up from full-back to make ground, and Jake Lloyd’s inside ball sent his opposite wing across.
Raff Weston got Dings on the scoreboard with three points, but Raff Hollister was a frequent nuisance to the hosts midfield, and the Club centre’s break on nine minutes set the attack for Dunford’s grubber to be grounded by Ed Scragg for a 12-3 lead.
The ferocious wind, however, would catch out both sides, and as Blackheath failed to find touch, Dings were able to mount enough pressure to drive loose-head Archie Stanley under the posts, followed directly by Victor Worsnip collecting Weston’s neat chip, the centre sending full-back Harry Rowson in for a second converted try in as many minutes.
Harding drove over for his first try and parity, but although Dunford, Hennessey and Sam Morley all made excellent takes under a swirling high ball, handling in attack let Blackheath down on three occasions, and the score remained level at 17-apiece at the interval.
Despite the wind now being in their favour, Blackheath made a sloppy start to the second period, Dings taking full advantage, as Stanley offloaded to hooker Sam Cantwell to score, Weston adding the conversion once more for a seven-point lead.
Nevertheless, Blackheath’s lineout and driving maul were irresistible throughout, and Harding brought the visitors back within two points as he peeled off for a try on 55 minutes.
Morley sent Hennessey gliding through the Dings defence off scrum ball, and Hollister and Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas added weight to the maul to drive Harding across for his tenth try of the season, Morley capping it with, given the conditions, an outstanding touchline conversion.
It wasn’t done. Not for the first time, Blackheath conceded numerous penalties under pressure, and from a tap-and-go Dings skipper and centre George Boulton touched down to add some tension to the final minutes.
However, in a frantic finish, Club open-side Noah Sloot won a turnover at the breakdown just ten-metres from his goal-line to secure the win.
‘Trying to throw-in at with 40-mph wind for both me and Archie Bourne was pretty tricky, but a lot of that pressure was taken off by Ed Scragg who called the lineout very well, as he’s done all season,’ said Harding.
‘The result was that we could set our maul, which we’ve worked on really hard with our coaching team of Tom Stradwick and Henry Wheadon, and good to see it being so effective.’
Newly-promoted Tonbridge Juddian arrive at the Utilita Well Hall next Saturday (3.00 pm KO). Jake Hennessey has played in all four previous league matches against the Club’s Kent rivals, with the record standing at two wins apiece.
‘It’s a massive game, TJs have recruited well and will be desperate to come up and put their stamp on National League One. We’ll both be going at it pretty hard.’
Dings Crusaders
Tries: Stanley 18, Rowson 20, Cantwell 44, Boulton 75
Conv: Weston 18, 20, 44, O’Grady 75
Pens: Weston 8
Blackheath
Tries: Hennessey 2, 65, Scragg 9, Harding 27, 55, 67
Conv: Dunford 2, 55, Morley 67
Attendance: 363
| 15 | . | Ed Dunford |
| 14 | . | Jake Lloyd |
| 13 | . | Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas |
| 12 | . | Raff Hollister |
| 11 | . | Jake Hennessy |
| 10 | . | Sam Morley |
| 9 | . | Kyle McGhie |
| 1 | . | Archie Holland |
| 2 | . | Billy Harding (Capt) |
| 3 | . | Rory Marsh |
| 4 | . | Fin O’Sullivan |
| 5 | . | Ed Scragg |
| 6 | . | Will Jameson |
| 7 | . | Noah Sloot |
| 8 | . | Archie Smeaton |
| 16 | . | Archie Bourne |
| 17 | . | James Cornish |
| 18 | . | Tom Johnson |
| 19 | . | Darragh Walsh |
| 20 | . | Charlie Briers |
Graham Cox
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