Penrith had an away day to forget at the weekend going down 11 tries to three at Northwich.
Clearly they struggled on the day in the 69-19 scoreline but it was also one of those days where if it could go wrong it did.
The start of the game summed up how the afternoon was to go. The home side kicked off, Penrith took the ball cleanly in their own 22, the ball was passed inside to improve the angle for a clearance kick but was knocked on.
Northwich had the perfect position for an attacking scrum, won the ball and although their ball was disrupted several phases later they crashed over for the opening score with hardly a minute on the clock.
Within quarter of an hour they were 21-0 up and the visitors had a mountain to climb.
A 50/22 gave the home side good field position and from the line-out Penrith were penalised twice in succession and they were taken quickly and a try scored in the confusion.
The third try came after a silly late tackle on the kicker. The penalty where the ball landed allowed the penalty to be kicked deep into the 22 and the try came from the line-out.
The Cumbrians did get themselves more into the game, as they were having the better of the set scrums and number eight Archie Rattray went close from a five-metre scrum.
Mike Fearon also went close and Chris Jackson was forced out in the corner after he got over the line after a nice beak from Harvey Johnston.
Penrith’s young team struggled to compete with the physicality of the home side. Richy Dadley bravely threw himself into contact and came off second best and had to come off injured while they scored twice again before the break.
First by running back a clearance kick and second muscling over after kicking a penalty into the 22 for position.
The visitors got themselves on the scoreboard after the break. For once Rob Coward found himself in space and ran back a kick from his own ten metre line to the 22 where the ball went loose.
Dalton Frith, on the wing for the injured Nick Dudson, did very well to first secure it, then shrug off two tacklers and then outpace the cover to score.
Penrith then lost Rattray to injury and only had 15 fit players who were all on the pitch.
Coward then had to limp off with a troublesome hamstring and they played the final quarter with only 14 men.
They did manage two more tries. Andy Rogers, by now moved from prop to number eight, broke off the back of a scrum down the blind side, drew the last man and managed to squeeze Tom Kirk in at the corner.
Then hard running again by Rogers and also Joe Spencely from a tap penalty created the space for a second try by Frith.
Penrith’s 14 men then threw caution to the wind chasing a fourth try for a bonus point and conceded three late tries which gave the final score a very unflattering look.
They now have to gather themselves to face Sandbach this Saturday who are also looking for their first win.
