Blackheath beat Doncaster 33:26 at the Athletic Ground on Sunday in the Greene King IPA Championship. The hosts ended a two-match losing streak with a victory that lifted them off the bottom half of the table. By then, they had only three points more than Doncaster despite sitting two places above them.
And here's the thing about this win — it came after back-to-back defeats, first to Caldy and then to Nottingham. Both losses had gone badly, with Blackheath losing by 4 and 7 points respectively. They ground out this result against a side that had just beaten Hartpury 29:15, so it wasn't a stroll. The high line was picked apart at times, but they kept their heads when it mattered.
Doncaster came in looking to extend a winning run from earlier in the season, but their last two games told a different story. After that Hartpury victory, they lost 19:45 to Cornish Pirates and now this defeat. To be fair, they've been inconsistent all season — three wins and two losses across five games, but the pattern isn't building momentum.
Both sides now sit on identical records of one win from three matches, though Blackheath's six points put them ahead of Doncaster's four. The gap between ninth and eleventh is narrow, but it's enough to keep Doncaster in the relegation conversation. Things came to a head today, and Blackheath took advantage.
The result means Blackheath have things to build on, while Doncaster will need to find consistency before the mid-season break. Neither side is where they want to be, but this win gives the hosts something to take forward.
