Penrith will be looking to follow up a high-scoring win last weekend when they host Leek at Winters Park on Saturday.
Defences certainly weren’t on top at Stockport as the Cumbrians won 45-38 to get their Regional North West 1 campaign off to a successful start.
Visitors Leek are having their second successive away game having played competitively in a 30-17 defeat on opening day at Manchester.
Penrith were delighted by the maximum points on the road but as the clock ticked down they were defending frantically on their own line with their lead down to one score and with only 13 men after conceding two tries and two yellow cards!
But hold out they did in a final, real backs to the ball effort and there were some tremendous performances but clearly plenty to work on in defence after conceding six tries.
Kendal were beaten 33-31 at home by Wirral but it didn’t go un-noticed that eleven of the eighteen-strong squad had come through the club’s Youth section.
The general consensus was that it was a mixed performance from Kendal with too many errors in the first half which proved crucial in the final outcome. However, when they began to move the ball quicker they showed what could be done. Handling errors should be resolved as the team get more used to playing together.
On Saturday they travel to Rossendale who opened with a 62-31 win at Stoke-on-Trent.
Carlisle were denied an opening day win in Regional 2 North when Durham City landed a last-gasp penalty to make it 32-32. It represented quite a fight-back after trailing 26-10 at half-time.
Restricting the visitors to two penalty kicks in the second-half was a worthwhile effort in its own right, without the added bonus of scoring 22 points.
Clearly head coach George Graham had some strong words to say at the break and he will expect that he doesn’t have to repeat that when his side are back at Warwick Road for their first derby clash against Kirkby Lonsdale.
A Northumberland exchange referee Anthony Lowery will take charge of the game.
Kirkby Lonsdale were beaten at home 23-5 by Aspatria on opening day so Carlisle will see this one as a good opportunity to deliver that vital first win of the season.
Aspatria, meanwhile, happy with their first competitive run-out under new coach Andy Brown, have another Cumbrian derby in prospect when they make the short trip to Keswick where Simon Barker will be the man in the middle.
The Lakesiders are also playing a second successive derby game having gone done 24-22 last week in a tough clash at Upper Eden. That should have done them good ahead of the Aspatria clash.
Upper Eden are off to the north-east to take-on Morpeth who opened with a 42-21 win at Guisborough.
Cockermouth, who were free on opening day, will want to start their return to Counties 1 Cumbria with a strong performance under new head coach Stephen Reed.
They open at Aspatria 2nds with the Eagles beaten in their first game, losing 33-14 to Workington. Jonny Watson will officiate.
The other Counties 1 Cumbria games are: Millom v Hawcoat Park (Mike Firby); Ambleside v St. Benedict’s (Roger Moffatt); Windermere v Egremont (Jim Donald); Creighton v Penrith 2nds (Craig Hine); Workington v Whitehaven (Alistair Jones).
The weekend fixtures start on Friday night in Counties 1 Cumbria with Keswick 2nds hosting Wigton with a 7.30pm kick-off and Alistair Jones in the middle.
