Rosslyn Park climbed to third in National One with a four-try bonus point 29-9 win against derby rivals Blackheath on Saturday.

Both sides deserve great credit for providing a compelling spectacle in such atrocious conditions, muddy and slippery under-foot with driving snow on an icy breeze. In the circumstances some of the handling was really quite exceptional, and Park will be delighted to have fashioned the four tries they needed for the crucial bonus point.

Rosslyn Park took the match to Blackheath from the start with an impressive move, spoilt only by the sort of knock-on that is inevitable in these conditions.

However, they did not have to wait long to get on the scoreboard. Winning a scrum on the left, they moved the ball across the field, stretching the visitors’ defence, and right-wing Charles Broughton proved unstoppable. Full-back Sam Katz’s conversion made it 7-0 on five minutes.

Blackheath, having the worse of the conditions with the snow blowing into their faces, showed that they had not come to make a present of the match. While they could not match some of Park’s slicker movements, they were competing on level terms and a couple of Rory Teague penalties in the ninth and 18th minutes saw them creeping up on their hosts.

Park seemed to have established a degree of dominance up front and drove to the Blackheath line and, despite some doughty defending, eventually flanker Tom Baldwin was able to rise from the melee with the ball and twist his way over the line, Katz adding the extras for 14-6 on 22 minutes.

Park swept back onto the attack, driving forward to gain a penalty which fly half Dan Mugford kicked to touch to maintain the pressure. Relief came for Blackheath when Park were eventually penalised, though the visitors were perhaps a bit fortunate that the touch judge failed to spot a fairly blatant punch to the face in the ensuing scrap: it was more frustration than malice aforethought, but would at the very least have seen the penalty reversed.

Park were able to force a further penalty, gratefully snapped up by Katz, to stretch the lead to 17-6 at the interval, which was possibly a slimmer lead than his side would have hoped for in all the circumstances.

Park had a chance to gain the first score of the second half, gaining a long-distance penalty, but Katz’s kick could not compete with the wind which stopped it in mid arc, then blew it harmlessly wide. A drive forward drew a further penalty, which this time the home side opted to take as a scrum but Blackheath held firm.

There were frequent outbreaks of exchanging clearance kicks, which made some sense from a Blackheath perspective as Park had difficulty clearing their lines any distance against the wind, and Blackheath were unable to make much impression on the home defence when attacking ball-in-hand.

A glimmer of hope beckoned for the visitors when replacement fly half David Dunne slotted over a penalty with just over 15 minutes remaining to take the scores to 17-9.

But Park soon snuffed it out with the try of the match started deep in his own half by winger Nev Edwards who made ground up his wing before passing inside to centre Paul Mackey, who returned the compliment to put Edwards in a straight one-on-one and a sprint to the corner. Katz added an excellent conversion for 24-9.

As the clock wound down, Park brought on replacement Luke Campbell and the flanker had an immediate and electrifying impact, seizing a loose ball with his first touch and marauding upfield at high speed, defying tacklers. When the way ahead was effectively barred to him he offloaded to provide Broughton with his second try of the match, which also brought the bonus point that Rosslyn Park needed.

Blackheath managed a last gasp attack, which yielded a penalty that was kicked to touch for the catch-and-drive, but when Park intercepted Baldwin lashed the ball out, over the club shop and in the general direction of Sheen to claim victory. In the conditions it was a remarkably contested local Derby, for which thanks to both sides.

Park: Katz; Broughton, Parsons, Mackey, Edwards; Mugford; Heeks (Grant); Ovens, Clark, Liffchak; Bowley, Boyle; Baldwin (Ball), Rowland (Campbell), Ellis.

Park subs (did not play): Bigley, McGrath

Park scorers: Broughton (2T), Baldwin (T), Edwards (T), Katz (P, 3C)