BY GRAHAM COX
Total domination from start to finish, with Blackheath crossing the try-line on 10 occasions, to rack up their best margin of victory since their 82-0 victory against Manchester on November 28, 2009.
From the second minute, when Jake Lloyd cruised down the left flank and found Harry Holland on hand to feed Nick Foster coming up from full-back for the opening score, the hosts were in command in this National League Two East fixture.
Tom Ffitch added a fine conversion on his way to a 19-point haul on his debut. Kaden Pearce-Paul, on his first home appearance, had such control at the lineout that Rochford soon stopped competing on opposition ball.
Harry Holland was driven across for a second score, and the open-side was powering forward again on 18 minutes providing quick ruck ball for Jack Daly, the Club scrum-half setting Foster on another break, before receiving a return pass to round off the move the move he had started.
Rochford gained some territory, and Jake Spivey took a quick tap-penalty to dive over in response.
However, it was only brief respite for the Essex side, as Oli Walliker piled across on the blind-side from lineout ball, and with Archie Holland – one of three players making his first start in Club colours – and Andy Boye gaining the ascendancy at the scrum, Blackheath enjoyed a deserved 26-5 advantage at the break.
Alex Harris trotted over within four minutes of the restart, after Tom Baldwin had ripped possession, and Luc Jeannot made a couple of holes and, moments later, Stevie Leonard, who worked tirelessly at blind-side, glided across in acres of space soon after.
Foster took defenders with him, and more fine handling from Markus Burcham and Jake Hennessey allowed Ffitch to add try number seven. The fly-half brought up the half-century on the hour-mark as he found another fine strike, after Alex Witchell flicked a neat pass to Foster, who returned possession for the hooker to crash over in the corner.
Rochford never ceased trying and their back-row competed well at the breakdown, Calum Brackett winning ball more than once.
They were reduced to 14-men through injury in the closing stages and Rochford simply ran out of numbers. Hennessey’s long pass bounced kindly for Harris to pick up for the wing’s second. And as the outside-centre made further ground, Paul Schroter cut through the midfield and found Ollie Claxton on his shoulder to race home for the final score.
Blackheath travel down the A2 to face Canterbury on Saturday. Kick-off at Merton Lane is at 3pm.
PICTURES: ANDY WANSBURY
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