RAMS produced a much-improved performance in going down 39-33 at a sun-kissed Blackheath.

A disastrous start saw the visitors fall behind inside two minutes, some slick attacking play giving Club the chance to hammer away from close range, No. 8 Tom Baldwin barging over for a score added to by Jake Hennessey.

Rams replied swiftly, however, their willingness to run the ball from anywhere leading to a sumptuous score, Axel Kalling-Smith and Jack Rampton making ground before the latter’s inside ball sent young scrum-half Ollie Hodgson, superb in just his second start, over for his maiden first-team try.

Fraser Honey levelled matters from the tee, but an immediate response sent Blackheath back in front, Hodgson’s opposite man Jordan Burns this time showing a clean pair of heels to scoot over for a converted try.

The visitors came close to a second try as Tom Vooght’s fly-hack forward was knocked on five metres short of the line by a diving Oli Rhoads, only for Rams to make amends with another first-time scorer, prop Nick Barry, showing tremendous strength to stretch over the line.

Honey equalised again, but the Londoners went in front for the third time as Billy Harding rode over a rolling maul after a penalty in midfield had been reversed.

The visitors kept going, though, and nearly grabbed another before the break as Zach Clow was just unable to ground a Kalling-Smith grubber kick.

It was Blackheath who pulled clear early in the second period, a fine try finished by 26-cap Fijian international Tex Cavubati converted by Hennessey before Harding doubled his tally from the set-piece.

Hennessey nudged over a penalty for 34-14, but Rams replied again as Dan Swain regather a chargedown to cross the whitewash, Honey making it three from three.

And the game was well and truly alive as it ended the final quarter, Rams securing the bonus-point as the excellent Rampton sent Clow over on the right.

The hosts regrouped, however, and seemed to have put the game to bed with a third maul try, Tom Stradwick this time finishing the job at the back of a huge 20-metre shove.

Rams, though, were gaining increasing dominance at the scrum with the indefatigable James Baker and young dynamo Scott Kirk providing huge impetus from the bench, Cavubati’s yellow card for an off-the-ball incident preceding a penalty try as the game crept into injury-time.

However, while the visitors looked to go from deep from the restart, Blackheath repelled their efforts by forcing a maul as Rams fell to a sixth defeat on the spin.

Seb Reynolds’ side host Rotherham Titans next Saturday (3pm).