It was top versus bottom in Regional 2 North when Carlisle visited Morpeth and proved as arduous as expected.
The League leaders were 71-6 winners after Carlisle had actually taken the lead with an early Jason Israel penalty.
It was a frustrating and difficult day, as Carlisle were just not able to match Morpeth, though there were periods in the first half for encouragement, short-lived though they were that Carlisle might at least score a few more points, and some of the tries Morpeth scored were gifted to them.
After Israel’s penalty Morpeth hit back from a five-metre line-out catch and drive which was eventually worked across the park into the opposite corner for an unconverted try.
It soon became apparent that Morpeth were going to use their big pack to establish a platform to attack, which they did ten minutes in to score their second, as they slipped some tackles to go down the outside channel.
A third came a few minutes later as a poor kick out of defence and some sloppy defending gifted the try.
After 20 minutes some driving runs from Josh Holmes and John Short set up the backs for an attack down the right. However with a 2 on 1 begging, the final pass didn’t go to hand and Carlisle had to settle for a penalty for an earlier infringement, again converted by Israel.
Carlisle continued to put the hosts under a bit of pressure, but in attack, the ball was turned over and Morpeth were away before Carlisle could organise their defence to score their bonus point try.
Their fifth came as they dominated a scrum inside the Carlisle half, and then overwhelmed the visitors defence for the final score of the half to go 33-6 up at half time.
The second half didn’t provide any relief for Carlisle as Morpeth then swiftly upped the gears to show why they are league leaders.
They made life very difficult at scrum time, and though Carlisle’s line out worked well enough all day, they were swallowed up by the hosts defence time and again.
Carlisle were unable to deal with the Morpeth attack and shipped six tries in the second half, for little return, apart from a rare couple of forays into the Morpeth 22.
Before the game there was a silence in memory of Doddie Weir who passed away last Saturday, and also in memory of Penrith player Ryan Johnson who collapsed suddenly and died at training on Thursday.
They are two men who will be sorely missed by their respective families, friends and communities and the Carlisle club send their condolences.
