Penrith Panthers completed their home programme with a game against Preston Grasshoppers Ladies at Winters Park and recorded an emphatic 78-7 victory.
Preston are on the rebuild and this was their first game of the season with a number of debutants but they started quick and opened the scoring by driving over Penrith’s line for a converted try.
It proved to be their only score as the Panthers soon replied with strong carries by Sian Kirby and Caron Davidson taking the team almost to the line before Polly Bowman crashed over to score the first of their 12 tries. Nine of them were converted.
When the Panthers were awarded a penalty for a high tackle, Di Hetherington took it quick and moved the ball wide to Katie Jackson who drove the ball hard.
From a ruck the ball was moved wide to the wing where Caitlin Wood stepped back inside to score, adding her own conversion.
The Panthers were on the front foot now and Jackson won a turnover and from this the ball was moved wide to Kirby who went over to score with Wood adding the conversion.
The Panthers were moving the ball well and once again when it went wide, Heather Grainger had the space to run down the wing and score.
The last try of the third came from a scrum.
The second third was more competitive with neither side breaking through for 20 minutes. The Panthers finally broke the deadlock when Beth Hook broke through the line, beating two players to score. Meg Phillips-Craig added the conversion.
The Panthers kept the pressure on and Amy Wright carried hard for the line but was brought down short. Hook picked up from the ruck and with her quick thinking spotted a gap and dived over to score. Phillips-Craig added the conversion to make it 45-7 at the end of the second third.
The Panthers kept the momentum going in the final third and when Jenny Brown stole the ball in the line-out it was moved wide to Kirby. She broke through the centres and off-loaded to Bowman who went over to score, with Wood adding the conversion.
Next Davidson broke through the defence and off-loaded again to Bowman who went over to score and Wood added the conversion.
The next try was similar and this time it was Jackson who broke through and off-loaded to Sarah Jenkins who went over to score. Wood added the conversion.
The Panthers finished the scoring with two quick tries. First Kirby broke through the defence to score with Wood adding the conversion. Then Wood scored herself to wrap up the convincing victory.
