If Penrith thought conditions had been testing last week at home against Waterloo, they were in for an unpleasant shock at Wilmslow.
They lost the North On West clash 17-7 but not many games will have been played in worse conditions.
At home in the previous game a gale was howling down the pitch and the temperature was one degree above zero.
A similar gale was blowing down the pitch and although a degree or two warmer the wind chill factor was much worse as it rained torrentially throughout the game. To add to that, conditions underfoot were diabolical as the pitch slowly turned into a quagmire.
The conditions, of course, were the same for both sides, and the two teams could take some credit for managing to play any meaningful rugby at all.
Penrith are a top of the ground side with some electric three quarters but they were completely negated as the mud and rain brought everyone to the same level. The Cumbrians would have fared much better if their two flying thoroughbred centres had been 16 stone lumps that ran straight lines.
For the first time in many seasons Penrith fielded the same starting 15 as the week before where they had defended aggressively and been in the opposition faces throughout. Here, though, they were in “away” mode and although the same 15 names were on the team sheet they were rather more benign and let Wilmslow come on to them, which was basically where the game was won and lost.
The vast majority of the game was just a slugfest in midfield with no expansive play, numerous scrums and the pitch cutting up more and more with both sets of kit getting muddier and muddier and harder to tell apart.
Penrith had an early let off when the home winger dropped the ball after crossing the line but the same winger got away down their left and was missed by several tacklers before getting hauled down in the 22.
He was able to play the ball out of contact and Wilmslow had scored a good try into the wind to lead by five points as the conversion had no chance into the elements.
After quarter of an hour Mike Fearon tried a wind assisted penalty shot from just inside the half way line but it fell short and then on the half hour Brad Taylor got his side back into the game. He intercepted a pass just in his own half and found some grass on the touchline to be able to sprint to the line. The visitors led as Fearon’s conversion went over with the wind behind it.
Five minutes before the break Penrith were reduced to 14 men following a yellow card and the home made use of the one man advantage and scored a second try when they were able to walk straight through a ruck to get in behind the Penrith defensive line.
The visitors started the second half on the front foot, they looked as if they were beginning to boss the game and had territorial advantage despite the wind but a penalty and a second yellow card turned the game.
They ended back in their 22 defending a man down and again the home side took advantage and worked the ball wide on the highest part of the pitch which was half dry and scored the try that put the game to bed.
Penrith continued to slog away and never gave up but it was just one of those days and the home side deserved their victory for their effort in the atrocious conditions.
