At the turn of the year the interim coaching duo of Peter Kerins and Huw Jenkins set a simple target for their squad of players - to win the remaining 10 league games in London South East 3 if they were have to have a chance of catching the three teams above them in the league . Whilst it has been job done so far with 6 straight bonus point wins in 2017, the teams above Heath have largely maintained their form meaning that Heath sit in third place, a point behind Thanet Wanderers in second and five points behind Pulborough who top the table. Whilst the maths for the rest of the season could become complicated, Heath will need to concentrate on winning their games with a bonus point if they are to catch the leaders who play each other next weekend.

The first Saturday in March saw Heath host Park House who travelled down from near Bromley in Kent on what was fortunately a dry afternoon albeit with a strong wind. Heath had tinkered with the set up of their backline with Robbie Fotheringham dropping to full back and Jamie Diggle coming into the centre to form a muscular partnership alongside Jack Lucas.

Heath kicked off up the hill but with the significant advantage of the wind behind them. The home side were the quicker of the two teams to get going and their more aggressive play around the breakdown led to the first try after 8 minutes. Quick turnover ball just inside their own half after good work from the Heath pack saw the ball quickly moved left to Roscoe Atkins on the blind side wing, who had enough space to accelerate around the Park House defenders and run in for the score. Kerins hit the conversion for an early 7-0 lead.

Within 5 minutes Heath were on the board again from a line out 10 yards from the visitor’s line. Dan Shotton won the line out and the ball was sped through the hands until Fotheringham, running a great line from full back, burst through the tacklers to touch down. Again Kerins was on target with the extras and with only 15 minutes gone it looked like it could be a long afternoon for the visitors at 14-0.

Park House gradually played themselves into the game with a lack of accuracy from Heath both at the breakdown and with ball in hand, meaning the home side were unable to maintain their first quarter dominance. Indeed Heath indiscipline led to a yellow card on 30 minutes. The penalty was kicked to the corner from where a 10 man catch and drive saw the visitor’s forwards rumble over for a try to make it 14 -5.

So started a mad 10 minutes when a 14 man Heath side were stung into action. From the restart a Park House knock on allowed Heath a scrum in opposition territory. The Heath pack, who dominated the set piece all afternoon, put the squeeze on giving front foot ball for Kerins to make a break which was then taken on by Wilf Bridges. When Heath were stopped just off the line, influential scrum half Brett Menefy spun the ball left down the backs where Diggle looked to have taken the wrong option as he cut back inside, only to pirouette around three defenders and crash over for a 19 -5 lead.

Two minutes later and another lack of concentration from Heath following advantage played from a knock on allowed Park House to hack the ball through to the in goal area and touch down for an unlikely second try to pull the score back to 19-10. Given Heath's defensive record this season, which is by far the best in the league, to concede two entirely avoidable tries in the space of 5 minutes was careless and was borne out of a general lack of precision throughout the afternoon.

That being the said the flip side of this Heath team is its resilience when the going gets tough and once again this was in evidence from the restart. Taking the ball as first receiver from another dominant scrum surge just inside the visitor’s half, Kerins broke, fed the ball to Menefy who in turn found Fotheringham who put Lucas into space to scoot in past the trailing defenders and score under the posts. A clinically executed try which with Kerins's conversion took the score to 26 -10 and showed the difference in quality between the two sides. It also bought up the all important 4 try bonus point for Heath which they admirably achieved when still down to 14 men. What appeared the longest half ever played came to an end shortly afterwards with Heath back to their full complement of players.

Turning round to play down the hill in the second half, albeit into the teeth of a fierce wind, the Heath support were hopeful of a try fest to warm them up. Unfortunately the try spree did not materialise and in fact there were only three good things to come out of the second half. The first was a try for industrious skipper Nick Main who smashed his way through tacklers after good work from the Heath pack. Kerins knocked the conversion over for 31-10.

The second good thing was Heath's refusal to concede a further score. Characterised by the meaness of their defence all season and ruing the two scores against them in the first half, even when pegged back in their own half by the visitors kicking with the benefit of the wind, the home side repelled the Park House threat notwithstanding a further yellow card leaving them down to 14 men again.

And the third good thing was probably the final whistle. Job done, bonus point secured in not the greatest of matches but allowing Heath to move on to the seventh game of 2017 which will be a tough away fixture against local rivals Lewes who are sitting in fourth place. If Heath are to take the maximum points from that encounter far greater discipline, composure and accuracy will be needed in all aspects of the game to complement their defensive work rate.

Heath Rams were also at home up against a Burgess Hill 2 side who they were expected to beat. However without a Hill 1st team fixture the visitors were able to load their side with experience allowing them to put a big points score on against a Rams side featuring a number of colts.

Match photos: Tom Burns

Heath 1st XV squad: Jack Bull , Wilf Bridges, Euan Greaves- Smith ( Sam Beckett), Nick Miller, Dan Shotton, Harry Preston- Bell, Dan Fergusson (Josh Salisbury), Nick Main ( captain ), Brett Menefy, Peter Kerins, Bobby Conroy-Smith, Jack Lucas , Jamie Diggle (Henry Warwick), Roscoe Atkins, Robbie Fotheringham.