A dominant first period from Blackheath, followed by a somewhat rudderless second, but enough to see the Club safely through to a home Champ playoff tie with Plymouth Albion on 9th May.
While Rotherham were sealing the National League One title with a win against Sale FC up in Yorkshire, Blackheath knew their task was to nail the runners-up spot by beating relegation-threatened Clifton, and ensure it would be the Devonians who’d need the long journey in a fortnight.
Six tries by the interval looked to have dispelled any thoughts of ‘the jitters’, but the chaos that ensued after the re-start will give the Club’s coaching staff plenty to ponder over the coming days.
Inevitably it was Billy Harding across for the hosts’ first try, the skipper and hooker crashing over in trademark fashion from the base of a lineout drive to increase further his season tally, as well as completing a new record of scoring in all 26 league games.
Archie Smeaton took the re-start, and Sam Morley’s lovely flat pass sent Raff Hollister breaking from his own half of the field, the centre finding Jake Hennessey on his shoulder to finish off, and with Luke Pollock squeezing in at the corner, after Blackheath had successfully counter-rucked, the Club were 19-0 ahead on only eleven minutes.
Second-row Jack Bennett escaped from a ruck to claim one back for Clifton, but Blackheath responded quickly as Harding put Sam Morley across the goal-line, before receiving the ball back from his generous fly-half to take his tally for the regular season to 48.
Finn Osborne rounded the back of a lineout and bashed defenders aside for a try, and quick-thinking from Kyle McGhie added the sixth, as the scrum-half went over from a tap-and-go for Blackheath to lead 38-7 at the break.
Ben Murphy came off the bench and marked his Club debut with neat dummy and a try on 48 minutes, after Osborne had turned possession, but the half-time changes to rest key players and the resultant reshuffle of positions saw Blackheath lose shape.
A break from Clifton fly-half Tom Quinlan, set the ruck for Bennett to score his second, and as Rory Marsh was yellow carded for a high tackle, visiting scrum-half Freddie Myatt scored from quick tap-penalty.
Murphy’s dismissal for a swinging arm meant the hosts finishing the game with depleted numbers, Clifton taking advantage as full-back Zak Hamid crossed in the corner for the four-try bonus (not enough to save the Bristolians from relegation as it would turn out), before Smeaton burst away from a ruck to bring up Blackheath’s half-century at the death.
Blackheath will face Plymouth Albion at The Utilita Well Hall a week on Saturday in the first stage of the playoff. The winner will travel to The Athletic Ground on 23rd May to play either Richmond or London Scottish for the prize of a place in the Championship next season.
Blackheath
Tries: Harding 5, 18, Hennessey 7, Pollock 11, Osborne 21, McGhie 29, Murphy 48, Smeaton 79
Conv: Morley 7, 11, 18, 21, McGhie 48, 79
Clifton
Tries: Bennett 15, 60, Myatt 66, Hamid 75
Conv: Quinlan 15, 60, 66, 75
Attendance 1,047
| 15 | . | Jake Hennessey |
| 14 | . | Tom Hughes |
| 13 | . | Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas |
| 12 | . | Raff Hollister |
| 11 | . | Luke Pollock |
| 10 | . | Sam Morley |
| 9 | . | Kyle McGhie |
| 1 | . | James Cornish |
| 2 | . | Billy Harding (Capt) |
| 3 | . | Archie Holland |
| 4 | . | Fin O’Sullivan |
| 5 | Ed Scragg | |
| 6 | . | Archie Smeaton |
| 7 | . | Noah Sloot |
| 8 | . | Finn Osborne |
| 16 | . | Archie Bourne |
| 17 | . | Ben Murphy |
| 18 | . | Rory Marsh |
| 19 | . | Jordan Burns |
| 20 | . | Hugo Watson |
Photos: Nick King
Graham Cox
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