Medway were unable to dent Heathfield’s unbeaten record in London South East Division 3, going down 17-5 on Saturday despite a strong second-half showing.

The first 10 minutes of the match proved to be decisive, with Medway conceding two early tries.

A missed tackle saw Medway’s defence breached and the home side went over. A difficult conversion added to the visitors’ pain. Within minutes Medway were caught napping by a quick tap penalty and conceded again.

After 20 minutes the home side’s early dominance paid further dividends. From a five-metre scrum, Heathfield drove Medway back over their line and scored the pushover try to lead 17-0.

The second half was a different affair. The home side’s forwards appeared to tire and this gave Medway more of a foothold. The only try of the second half went to 18-year-old replacement Matt Wadhams (on for the injured Ben Wadsworth) on 70 minutes after Glen Wadsworth, Simon Green, Rob Ellis and Darren Kistner combined to break down the home defence.