Club XV 43-12 Barnes 2’s
October 11th 2025
Venue: The Utilita, Blackheath
On an absolutely beautiful, sunny afternoon, the Club XV took on Barnes 2’s in a league game for the second time in a week. The weather conditions could not have been more different! Last week Blackheath were on the wrong end of a 35-19 defeat, and it goes without saying that there was a steely determination from within the squad to avenge that. Blackheath kicked off towards the clubhouse.
Club were strong in defence in early exchanges repelling a series of good attacks from Barnes but were pinged twice at scrum time allowing Barnes to gain territory, and a period of pressure eventually resulted in a Barnes try in the corner scored by their left wing. The conversion was missed.
Maybe this early score to Barnes was the wake-up call Club needed and from a lovely midfield break from inside his own half, Luke Pollock found Nathaniel Ticehurst with a lovely pass which he ran onto at speed making a good 15 yards before Charlie Briers running a great line finished off a fine try under the posts which was easily converted by Matt Dalrymple.
A quite superb break from the Club XV centre, Fin Gilmour, saw the ball moved through hands before hooker, Sam Westmacott, who had popped up in the outside channel, dotted down in the right-hand corner for an unconverted try to make the score 12-5 on 20 minutes.
Back came Barnes who took advantage of a handling error in the Blackheath centres to score a breakaway try in the corner which was superbly converted to level the scores at 12-12 after 27 minutes. This was now a tight game and Blackheath were fortunate not to concede again and would have done but for some poor handling from Barnes and resolute defence from Blackheath. A terrific pressure relieving penalty to touch from Dalrymple gave Blackheath a lineout on the Barnes 22 which they won well and as the ball moved across the pitch through hands and after a dominant ruck, Dalrymple nudged a kick with pinpoint accuracy into the hands of wing Oscar Daniel who offloaded to Fin Gilmour to score the try which Dalrymple converted to make the half time score 19-12.
The Club XV full back, Darragh Walsh, had to come off after the break and was replaced by Micaal Macfarlane who went onto the wing with Oscar Daniel dropping to full back. Both sides were really at it, and the next score could have gone to either team. That it went to Blackheath was down to a piece of classic fly-half play with Dalrymple selling the Barnes defence an outrageous dummy which enabled him to put it on a plate for Charlie Briers to score under the posts. Dalrymple added the extras to make it 24-12 on 54 minutes.
Barnes were still very much in the game in terms of possession and kept coming at Blackheath . A pressure relieving run from Fin Gilmour saw Dalrymple go for an ambitious 50-22 which went agonisingly the wrong side of the corner flag. Barnes were able to build again and from a penalty against Blackheath for offside they kicked to within 15 metres of the try line for a lineout put in which they won but promptly coughed up to the hosts who were able to clear up field. A short period of unstructured play from both sides was halted through an injury break which seemed to allow both sides to compose themselves. A penalty to Club saw Dalrymple kick to within 10 metres of Barnes try line and then following clean lineout ball and a good move by the Club XV backs, Micaal Macfarlane scored in the right-hand corner. The conversion was missed but Club were now pulling away at 29-12 on 65 minutes.
The sixth Blackheath try was an individual effort from Man of the Match, Fin Gilmour, who collected the ball from broken play inside his own half and set off on a weaving run full of strength and balance to score under the posts. Try converted by Dalrymple to make it 36-12.
Blackheath’s final try came from a storming run off the back of a maul by second row Maclaren Crawford and with the conversion easily slotted this final score gave the Club XV the victory by 43-12 and with it the five points.
The scoreline might suggest that this was a comfortable victory, but it wasn’t. Barnes are a good side and were always in the game. Blackheath were more clinical on the day and took their chances. The side were delighted to have avenged the defeat they suffered at the hands of Barnes last Saturday and will go into next Saturday’sgame at Richmond with a spring in their step. They are next at home on Saturday 25th October when they welcome Chinnor Falcons. Kick Off is at 14:00.
FT: Club XV 43-12 Barnes 2’s
Man of the Match: Fin Gilmour
Tries: Briers (2) Westmacott, Gilmour (2) Macfarlane, Crawford
Conversions: Dalrymple (4)
| 15 | WALSH, Darragh (2) |
| 14 | JOWETT, Leo |
| 13 | POLLOCK, Luke (1) |
| 12 | GILMOUR, Findlay (8) |
| 11 | DANIEL, Oscar (2) |
| 10 | DALRYMPLE, Matt (15) |
| 9 | BRIERS, Charlie (3) |
| 1 | GIBBONS, Teddy |
| 2 | WESTMACOTT, Sam |
| 3 | ORUBO, Daniel |
| 4 | CRAWFORD, Maclaren |
| 5 | TICEHURST, Nathaniel + |
| 6 | NEAL, Nate |
| 7 | ANTWIS, Lewis |
| 8 | RINGSHALL, Alex + |
| 16 | CHIKURUHNE, Manny |
| 17 | HULKS, Pearson |
| 18 | FITZGERALD, TJ + |
| 19 | MACFARLANE, Micaal |
| 20 | GOODWIN, Mike |
+ Pathway players / (1st XV caps)
Author: Craig Molloy
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