The Bandits got their season underway with a resounding win at home against Gravesend 3s in front of a fair sized crowd of the Club faithful who’d come down to support Blackheath’s social players. Perhaps reflecting the broad church that is social rugby, it was literally a game of two halves. Club started the game with what they thought their strongest XV would be, and so it was proven despite the presence of a number of debutants. The home side stormed ahead with a score straight from kick off and whilst the two teams were fairly evenly matched up front it was clear that the backs were a cut above. With a half back pairing of Lewis Stone, a former Blackheath Junior making his Men’s rugby debut at 9 and Nathan Brindle, a former Junior in his 3rd season as a Bandit at 10, orchestrating a punishing attack the Bandits were scoring with regularity and were 45-0 up at half time. Changes were made at the break to bring the 7 subs into the game and the second half was a more even contest, which the Bandits won 7-5. Final score was 52-5.
Pre season games are all about finding your feet and practising your pattern of play before the test of the league and whilst the win was important, so too was the home grown talent in the team. In addition to the two already mentioned we also had Billy Coker, making his mens debut, Conor Mitchell and Skipper Kai Roper-Blackman all having come from the Club youth section.
This week the Bandits are away to Old Streetonians on the famous Hackney Marshes in their final game before the league itself starts on 14th September
LATEST NEWS
