Things began perfectly for the hosts, who took an early lead as Mike Cooke’s beautiful tip pass sent full-back Zach Clow through for a converted try.
But they took a sharp down-turn soon after as Charlie Robson was red carded for an off-the-ball incident on 13 minutes.
Rams repelled an initial maul after Club kicked to the corner, but another penalty allowed the visitors a repeat effort with the league’s leading scorer Billy Harding riding the set-piece over.
Club take control
And Blackheath then hit the front in somewhat fortuitous fashion, a series of attacks initially stopped before a loose ball was hoovered up by Raff Hollister to touch down to the right of the posts.
Multi-sportsman Matt Dalrymple, an opening batsman for Berkshire and Henley cricket, added the extras, and his side had a golden chance to further their lead only for Ed Scragg to opt for contact rather then sending Luke Pollock over.
Rams were under the cosh and it took a brilliant cover tackle from replacement Oli Rhoads to deny Pollock, but their opponents went 19-7 up soon after as Harding sniped over for his 14th try in just eight games, Dalrymple with a simple conversion.
Blackheath were temporarily reduced to 14 men as Oskar Hirskyj-Douglas was pinged at the breakdown, but despite enjoying territory at the end of the opening half, Rams came away with nothing.
Rams rally after Osborne grabs bonus-point
And the visitors wrapped up the bonus-point a minute after the break, man-of-the-match No. 8 Finn Osborne breaking through before Dalrymple was again on target.
There was scope for things to go badly wrong for the home side, but to their credit they fought manfully and were close to cutting the gap after Rowan Grundy’s initial break was furthered by the outstanding Harry Stone and Morgan MacRae, the latter losing the ball just short of the line.
Another chance came midway through the final quarter, MacRae’s stunning off-load sending Stone then Clow free, but he was unable to double his tally.
And Blackheath – well marshalled by scrum-half Jordan Burns throughout – were ultimately deserved victors.
Rams have a week off before visiting Bishop’s Stortford on Saturday, November 8.
Final Score: Rams 7-26 Blackheath (Half Time: 7-19)
Scorers
Rams
Tries: Clow 7
Conversions: Cooke 8
Blackheath
Tries: Harding 14, 29, Hollister 18, Osborne 41
Conversions: Dalrymple 19, 29, 42
Star Man: Finn Osborne (Blackheath)
Referee: Ben Simpson
Attendance: 702
Rams
(15-9, 1-8) Clow, Graham, Grundy, MacRae, Robson, Cooke, Hoadley; Harris, Austin, Baker, Stapley, Stone, Atkins ©, Duda, Bicknell
Replacements: Marris, Lomas, Tull, Rhoads, Hodgson
Blackheath
(15-9, 1-8) Hennessey, Lloyd, Hirskyj-Douglas, Hollister, Pollock, Dalrymple, Burns; Davis, Harding ©, Boye, Smeaton, Scragg, Smart, Sloot, Osborne
Replacements: Bourne, Holland, Marsh, Charnock, McGhie
