Penrith’s pre-season preparations started in earnest when they hosted West Hartlepool in a warm-up/friendly/trial game.
The home side fielded a reasonably strong squad and although the visitors claimed to be travelling short they had a more than adequate pack and some sharp backs.
The game was broken down into three periods and the home side started the first one strongly right from the off with strong running from the kick off by Arran Cavaghan, Joe Ellis and Andy Rogers gaining them good field position.
They opened the scoring from a ruck under the visitor’s posts where Dylan Thompson powered his way over from close range and Rob Coward converted.
The visitors then settled into the game and scored themselves when a cross field kick found their speedy left winger who scored an unconverted try.
Hartlepool then looked to have a nailed-on try but their winger dropped the pass on the overlap with the line at his mercy but the home side’s relief didn’t last long as they were surprisingly driven off their own scrum ball five metres out, conceding the try to trail 10-7.
The Cumbrians then finished the session strongly as Matty Boustead scored a wonderful individual try after some good work by Joe Spenceley and new hooker Toby Keen.
Keen was then instrumental in a third try following a penalty kicked to the corner. His throw to the line-out found Ben Higgens and he joined the rear of the driven maul to claim the try as they trundled over the line.
The home side won the second period scoring three tries without reply. Fast thinking by Boustead saw Nick Dudson in space in his own half following a quickly taken line-out.
He then cut a great line and the visitor’s defence hadn’t the pace to get to him as he went under the posts.
Thompson grabbed a second try from an attacking line-out and the ever-alert Spenceley carved a path through a crowded defence for a well-deserved try.
Penrith rang the changes for the final session which went to the visitors with a penalty try which was the only score.
The home coaching team declared themselves satisfied with the afternoon’s work, everyone had played well and put in a shift and the only real lesson to learn was not to give away needless penalties as they will be punished even more severely against higher quality opposition.
