Bandits vs Old Elthamians 2nd XV, 1 February 2025
The two undefeated leading sides in the Kent Metropolitan league met on Saturday at the Utilita, in what has the potential to be the league-deciding fixture. The day was immensely significant for Blackheath’s social section for two reasons: Bandits and OEs 2nd team have both been scoring heavily in the league to date, and this eagerly anticipated game was earmarked for some months as a must-win for both teams. Additionally, for the first time in nearly ten years, the social section was able to field two squads on the same day, and an ‘Extra Bandits’ side played against Bromley’s 3rd team on Pitch 3 before the top-of-the-league clash, running out 40-0 winners.
Elthamians opened the scoring after just a couple of minutes, as they managed to work enough space for their left wing to hurtle down the touchline. This felt like a sucker punch to the Bandits, who appeared to have a clear advantage in the scrummage. Through the game this advantage became apparent and telling, and the Club’s ability to get over the gain line began to tell soon after going behind. Having battered in to the visitors’ 22, the Bandits were awarded a scrum and number 8 Cam Squire picked and carried for a try, which after a successful conversion from Nathan Brindle, gave the Club a short-lived lead. The ensuing restart was not taken cleanly and from the following scrum Elthamians worked the ball this time to the right wing who was able to skip past tacklers and dot down in the corner. A similar pattern to the Bandits’ earlier try was followed, strong running taking the Club in to the OEs 22, and after phases and pressure were built, space appeared and the ball was worked wide to pack leader Conor Mitchell to score on the left side. The match was fairly evenlycontested for the remainder of the first half, although the visitors were awarded a penalty in front of the posts on the half-hour mark, which they duly kicked and took a 12-13 lead into the break.
The lineout was not a particular strength for Blackheath through the game, and as a penalty in midfield shortly after the restart was followed by an untidy throw-in, possession was retained well enough to be shipped out to stand-in fly-half Zac Bainbridge who crashed over. Within a few minutes, a near carbon-copy try was scored to extend the Bandits’ lead, with a cleanly-won but scrappily-mauled lineout on the OEs’22 tidied up by a busy Alex Laurenti at scrum-half. The ball was worked in to midfield and Bainbridge scored his second, which with the conversion took the score to 24-13.
Elthamians came back into the game strongly and enjoyed some spells in possession in the middle of the second half. The visitors were able to work the field position to win a lineout close to the Club tryline, allowing their second row the chance to spin through a tackle and score to narrow the gap. The game felt delicately poised at 24-20 going into the final quarter, but Blackheath’s advantage in power began to be felt more acutely. Quick line speed in defence and good energy in the carries meant the battle at the gain line swung more clearly in the Bandits’ favour. Even the lineout began to fire, and with ten minutes left a lineout 10m from the OEs line was mauled to within inches of a score. The visitors brought the maul down illegally in the eyes of the referee, and with the penalty count already having climbed to the point of a final warning, an Elthamian flanker saw yellow. The Bandits forwards worked a short penalty move and Mitchell went over for his second try and took the points difference to nine. Down to 14 men and chasing the game but with a struggling set-piece, the visitors endeavoured to run everything for the closing stages of the match. When no way through became apparent and OEs were steadily forced backwards by the Blackheath defence, they speculatively kicked long, where Bandits skipper and fullback Kai Roper-Blackman received the ball and proceeded to skip through the ragged kick chase. Despairing tackle attempts all failed and Roper-Blackman sealed an impressive and important win for the Club with his score under the posts, one which leaves the Bandits alone at the top of the Kent Met league with only two fixtures left to play.
Playing two games in a day is already an excellent achievement for a squad that was forced to drop out of its league a little over two years ago for lack of front-row players. Winning both matches and reaching the point of potential promotion back to the Counties setup, while also being able to field a competitive team in the merit leagues, is very exciting, and testament to many months of hard work and successful recruitment. The Bandits are next at home against Charlton Park on 8 March, and having had such an excellent attendance at the Utilita for the Elthamians game, it goes without saying that all support is very much welcome for what the team hopes will be the celebration of its second league win in two years.
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