Penrith’s first test at Level 5 was always going to be a tough one at home to semi-professional Macclesfield and they lost 33-24.
But the Cumbrians produced an encouraging performance in defeat as they had been 26-0 down early in the second-half.
The visitors had made a strong finish to last season in the league and won the Cheshire Cup and their section of the Papa John Cup. They have recruited widely in the build up to the league programme and look to be one of the favourites.
Penrith had eight players missing from their cup winning side in March but were still able to field a relatively strong side.
As the game got underway it looked as if the Cumbrian side were giving away about two inches and two stone a man to their opponents but even so the home side had the better of the first quarter.
Although they did not threaten the visitor’s line they did have more than their share of possession and more than held their own in the set pieces. The only real negative was losing Fraser Nicolson with a twisted knee after he had made a great break into the attacking 22.
Macclesfield were getting into their stride and had a couple of good chances but fortunately for the home side dropped the scoring pass on each occasion.
However, after a nice passage of play and two passes out of contact they did manage their first try under the posts. They scored again on the half hour running back a clearance kick and then on the stroke of half time opted for a scrum from a penalty five metres out.
They won scrum ball and mounted an assault on the home line and despite some heroic try line defending finally found the gap.
So Penrith trailed 19-0 at the break and then by 26-0 shortly after when the visiting forwards worked a classic catch and drive try from a line-out in the corner for their bonus point try.
At this stage heads might have gone down but the home side dug deep and managed a try of their own. A kick and chase from Tom Kirk got them up the field and when the defenders transgressed the penalty was taken quickly and Mike Fearon found the gap.
He almost got around the final defender but Archie Rattray was on his shoulder and took the pass to score. Fearon then scored an excellent individual try of his own following a break by Ross Jackson had given them good field position.
This looked as if it might have just been a minor blip when the visitors added a fifth try from another five metre scrum, but Penrith came back at them again.
A Ross Jackson cross kick was fielded by replacement winger Brendan Ferguson on half way and he got to the 22 before being hauled down.
From there the home side attacked along the 22 without making much progress until the ball got on to the right wing and Aaron Cavaghan found the gap, cleared the first line of defenders and beat the last man on the outside to score in the corner.
The game went into the final ten minutes and both sides looked dead on their feet on an extremely hot afternoon but it was Penrith who finished the stronger.
First Rod Coward made a great break and then the elusive Matty Boustead took play to the visitor’s line and after several charges it was Andy Rogers who finally forced his way over to score his side’s fourth try.
From being dead and buried at 26-0 they had come back to win a bonus point and were rightly delighted. It will give them great encouragement in the weeks to come.
