St Benedict’s versus Carlisle was billed as second against top in Counties 1 Cumbria but it did not produce the expected tight contest.
Carlisle produced a very dominant performance in West Cumbria to tun out convincing 33-0 winners.
Indeed this was Carlisle’s most accomplished performance of the season and from midway through the first half the result was never really in doubt.
Despite constant rain over the previous 24 hours, and it never let up over the course of the afternoon, the pitch was in remarkably good condition and a credit to the St Benedicts club.
Carlisle chose to play with what wind advantage there was in the first period, but then fumbled the kick off receipt and it was the hosts who had the first attack.
A pattern was set where try as they might Bennies could not really breach a determined Carlisle defence who were ultimately able to clear their lines and the intelligent boot of Jason Israel enabled good field position to be established.
Carlisle proved to be much better organised in the forwards, and established both scrum and line-out dominance early on.
Their first incursion into the Bennies 22 saw Josh Holmes crash over from close range on seven minutes after some good collective pick and go’s from the pack. Israel added the extras.
The lead was extended on fifteen minutes. Some indiscipline from Bennies allowed the visitors to kick for a line-out in the home 22. A catch and drive and the maul was heading for the tryline before collapsing just short.
Referee Martin Denvir, who had a fine game throughout, could have awarded a penalty try but opted for just the penalty. Carlisle chose the scrum and after a couple phases Tom Graham went over from close range and Israel again added the extras.
St Benedicts responded well and had a period in the visitors 22 through retaining possession well and advancing at close quarters. But the Carlisle defence was patient and just as Bennies were looking to get back in the game they produced the move of the match in the horrendous conditions.
Stripping the ball in contact and finding themselves in possession behind their own try line an opportunity was seen and more importantly taken. Israel moved the ball quickly left to Robbie James and Dan Holmes who were in clear space and released Rhys Callaghan who sprinted into the Bennies half before switching the ball back inside to James who had Vince Lung on his inside to take a scoring pass.
Unfortunately the last pass was deemed forward and the score ruled out but a statement had been made and Carlisle never looked back.
Another James line-break set up another scoring opportunity with a lineout on the Bennies 5m line. The home side stood back expecting another driving maul, but Rory Parish, putting in a man of the match performance all round, merely came to ground turned and crashed over.
A further try was added before half time to secure the bonus point, and it was an individual beauty. From a line=out in the Carlisle half, Vince Lung dummied the onrushing defence found a gap through the middle and sidestepped two defenders to go 60 metres for the score. Israel added the conversion and Carlisle were 26-0 up at half time.
Bennies had the elements in the second half and battled hard to recover. They never gave up and their backs showed that on a drier day they had the potential to offer a serious challenge.
However the conditions were against them and consistently Carlisle’s stronger and more disciplined pack had the measure of the West Cumbrians, particularly at the set piece where in the scrum Bennies were constantly going backwards.
The conditions worsened considerably in the second half and the light faded fast in the gloom. There was only one score in the second period, a close range effort from Josh Holmes after a series of scrums in the home 22.
Conditions were such overall, that it was some relief when referee Denvir blew the final whistle.
