Otley 18 Blackheath 17: Georgiou penalty proves decisive as Otley build victory around dominant lock Parr

He made an early statement, crashing over after great approach work by both wingers, Curtis Wilson racing cross-field to join up with James Twomey, but the big lock was adjudged not to have grounded.

Blackheath began to prove dangerous with quick work around the breakdowns and fly-half Paul Humphries put them ahead with a penalty but Otley replied quickly. A knock-on at the re-start gave them a scrum in the visitors' 22 and a neat inside pass from fly-half Joe Barker found back-row Robert Afoa-Peterson coming at pace to drive over.

Ably prompted by scrum-half Luke Baldwin, Blackheath were picking holes in the home defence, Humphries finally getting away and finding full-back Ralph Smith on his inside, put him in for a converted try.

Otley hit back with a penalty from full-back Christian Georgiou but fell to a carbon-copy try, Smith again between the posts for Humphries to convert and Blackheath were 17-8 ahead after 24 minutes.

Beginning to assert themselves in the forwards, Otley began to prosper and when Barker found touch 15 metres out with a fine kick, Parr secured the throw to lead a drive towards the posts where No 8 Ollie Stedman forced his way over, Georgiou converting.

A tighter home defence kept Blackheath under control in the

second-half and the visitors were often struggling but kept their line intact and it was a 64th minute Georgiou penalty which secured victory.