Penrith’s Papa Johns national semi-final was a repeat of their league game away at Leek and the match virtually followed the same pattern as the one in February.
The Cumbrians won the game 43-41 deep into stoppage time and the only difference this time was they weren’t quite able to steal the game again at the death as they lost out 50-44.
Leek started as they had in the first game, running hard with power and purpose and making inroads into what is normally a solid defence, getting well over the gain line time and again.
It was the visitors though that opened the scoring when they were gifted the ball from a ballooned knock on. Matty Boustead and Thomas Connell made ground and Scott Lancaster was stopped just short but George Graham was in support to go over in the corner and Rob Coward added a well struck conversion.
The home side were soon level following two penalties and two attacking line-outs and a catch and drive to the line.
Coward put the visitors’ noses back in front with a penalty but the lead changed again following a break in the centre and a converted try.
Then Coward pulled his side back within one point with a second penalty but as the game moved into the second quarter the home side took control.
They scored two tries and a penalty before the break to lead 31-13 and the Penrith line speed and tackling left a bit to be desired.
The visitors, however, struck back immediately after the break as the two sets of forwards were having a real tussle. The home pack was totally in charge at the line-outs but the Cumbrians set scrummaging was far superior.
This superiority gave Sam Wilson a great platform in the home half when he broke from number eight and made good ground. Graham continued the run and gave Lancaster a clear run to the line. He stepped back inside one defender and carried the last tackler to the line, just getting there for the score.
Penrith then managed to prevent a try, holding the ball up over the line but from the kick out the home scrum half scored a clever individual try.
Again the visitors came back, this time a really strong run by Dylan Thompson was the catalyst for the score and he played the ball nicely out of contact to set Boustead away on a mazy run to the line.
The visitors trailed 38-25 and a wonderful individual try down the left wing by James Bent got them back to within a score. He showed great pace and no little skill with a chip ahead and an expert gather of the ball as it bounced in front of him.
The visitors’ hopes then looked to be dashed as they conceded a further two tries to trail 50-32 as poor defence at a ruck allowed an opposition forward to wander straight through to score for the first, with another penalty to the corner and a catch and drive for the second.
Then with ten minutes left on the clock the home side looked shot and it was Penrith who took command, setting up camp in the home 22.
From an attacking scrum the forwards launched drive after drive and when the ball eventually came wide Bent was far too nimble on his feet for the flagging defenders and danced to the line.
The Cumbrians scored again immediately. Richy Dadley took the restart, Isaac Murray set the backs off, Graham got play up to half-way, Jay Rossi stepped a couple of defenders and set away Coward who outpaced any cover to score.
Penrith trailed by six points with added time to go and looked to break Leek hearts for a second time but it was not to be.
They did get deep into the home 22 once more and did win a penalty but couldn’t just force the score and the home side, to great relief, kicked the ball to touch to end the game.
Penrith hadn’t quite done enough to get to the final but they’d given it a real go after falling well behind, never letting their heads drop and had far from disgraced themselves.Â
