The flair and inventiveness came from Blackheath, but it was the calm efficiency and clinical finishing from Caldy that triumphed in the end.
Trailing by three points with three minutes remaining, Sam Morley tore into the visitors’ defence, the Club fly-half setting the ruck for Ed Scragg to dive over, giving the hosts a slender advantage.
Blackheath RFC v Caldy RFC during the Elior Champ Rugby season at The Utilita, London, 25/09/2026.
Photo: Nicholas King / Nicholas King Photography
Nevertheless, Blackheath could not rein in their penalty count, conceding 15 throughout the contest, against six from the Cheshire side (none in the second period) and, despite a Noah Sloot turnover, the Caldy pack surged forward again for hooker Ollie Hearn to claim the winning try.
‘Credit to our lads,’ said Caldy head coach Matt Cairns. ‘Leaving work early to travel down to London on a Friday is not easy, so I’m delighted to come away with four points.’
‘We dug in first half when Blackheath were playing really well, but our subs made a big impact in the second period and we ground it out which is what you have to do to win games in the Champ.’
Blackheath were electric in the opening half hour, full of energy, harrying the opposition and forcing errors and turnovers, Tom Hughes notable for driving an opponent five metres backwards with a huge hit to the approval of the large Friday night crowd at Well Hall.
With only four minutes played, Luke Pollock sliced through the midfield, Jordan Burns made further ground, and Morley’s long pass by-passed two attackers to find Noah Ferdinand out wide for the first score on the win’s home debut.
Blackheath RFC v Caldy RFC during the Elior Champ Rugby season at The Utilita, London, 25/09/2026.
Photo: Nicholas King / Nicholas King Photography
Resolute defence followed, but on the half-hour, scrum ball under the uprights was moved left for Iwan Price-Thomas, the full-back also on home debut, to crash through the defence, Morley’s conversion giving Blackheath a 12-0 lead.
Blackheath RFC v Caldy RFC during the Elior Champ Rugby season at The Utilita, London, 25/09/2026.
Photo: Nicholas King / Nicholas King Photography
Blackheath RFC v Caldy RFC during the Elior Champ Rugby season at The Utilita, London, 25/09/2026.
Photo: Nicholas King / Nicholas King Photography
However, three rapid infringements saw play move the length of the field, Caldy scrum-half Nye Thomas sliding over from close-range, reducing the deficit at the break, and although pace from Burns off scrum ball after the re-start sent Price-Thomas across once again, it was now that Caldy’s reinforcements made the telling difference.
Marshalling his new front row, the excellent Thomas went over again, and on 63 minutes, Caldy created the space out wide for right-wing Rhus Tudor to cross, full-back Ben Parkin’s third conversion putting the visitors in front for the first time ahead of the dramatic closing moments.
An obviously disappointed Tom Stradwick commented, ‘being twelve points up in the second period, a little more composure, fewer penalties, and we’re over the line.’
‘It’s tough pill for us to swallow,’ continued the Club head coach ‘but credit to Caldy, they were very precise when they had their opportunities.’
‘We’re on a steep learning curve.’
Blackheath
Tries: Ferdinand 4, Price-Thomas 27, 45, Scragg 78
Conv: Morley 27, 46
Caldy
Tries: Thomas 37, 52, Tudor 65, Hearn 80
Conv: Parkin 37, 52, 65, Davies 80
Attendance: 1,307
| 15 | . | Iwan Price-Thomas |
| 14 | . | Tom Hughes |
| 13 | . | Luke Pollock |
| 12 | . | Kegan Christian-Goss |
| 11 | . | Noah Ferdinand |
| 10 | . | Sam Morley |
| 9 | . | Jordan Burns |
| 1 | . | Archie Holland |
| 2 | . | Bill Harding (Capt) |
| 3 | . | Rory Marsh |
| 4 | . | Ehize Ehizode |
| 5 | Ed Scragg | |
| 6 | . | Josh Smart |
| 7 | . | Noah Sloot |
| 8 | . | Archie Smeaton |
| 16 | . | Ben Chapman |
| 17 | . | Simon Kerrod |
| 18 | . | James Cornish |
| 19 | . | Mike Etete |
| 20 | . | Kieran Curran |
| 21 | . | Kyle McGhie |
| 22 | . | Ed Dunford |
| 23 | . | Jake Hennessey |
Photos: Nick King
Graham Cox
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