Penrith came up against second in the table Anselmians on Saturday and although they gave a good account of themselves couldn’t quite match them.
The game was competitive throughout but the visitors didn’t make as many mistakes and took all the chances that came their way. They are second in the league for a reason.
The home side started the game well, received the kick off and kept possession for a long period, Anselmians were then penalised at the first ruck they took the ball into and Mike Fearon kicked his side into a three-point lead.
The visitors then turned the screw and kicked a penalty to the corner to attempt the catch and drive try from close range, the home forwards stopped their first effort but not to the liking of the referee who penalised them for collapsing the maul.
They kicked that penalty to the corner and were successful at the second attempt and led with an unconverted try.
The Cumbrians found themselves in the same corner straight from the restart and again had to defend a 5m lineout, again the ref was not happy with the home defence and awarded a penalty try along with a yellow card.
The 14 men struck back immediately, they regained possession at the restart and when the ball came into midfield Fearon made a searing break and was through on the last defender, the tackle was good but he was able to get the ball away to George Graham in support on his shoulder, Nick Dudson’s conversion was good and they trailed by two.
Penrith struck again straight away, Ant Davies won lineout ball on the visitors’ 10m line, Graham made the half break from the maul and set Dudson away who did well to keep his feet breaking through a couple of tackles to make the line and the home side now had their noses in front.
The visitors then had a bit of a purple patch and scored three tries in eight minutes, the first was a gift from a messed up lineout by the home forwards on their 22m line, the second was a well worked movement and the third came from lack of cover at the breakdown. The complexion of the game had now changed the visitors led 33-15.
The home side are nothing if not resilient and got a score back before half time, Joe Kirkup was largely responsible, he carried the ball from his own 10m line to deep within the attacking 22, their were several forward drives for the line, the last by Craig Price and Anselmians were penalised under their own posts. Graham had the ball played in a flash and sent it wide right where Fearon set up Rob Coward for the try in the corner.
The second period started with the home side 13 points adrift but they reduced the deficit as they dominated the start of the half, Adam Howe was held up over the line and a great break by Dudson came to nothing and they then opted to scummage from two penalty awards.
They finally broke the visitor’s line when Graham again took advantage of a penalty awarded close to the line. he threw the pass wide left to Dudson who again threw it wide to Fraser Nicolson on the wing, he flipped it back inside to Arran Pamphilon, playing his first senior game in almost two years, and he flew in at the corner.
That was the home side’s bonus point try and they soon had a fifth, Dudson was the catalyst breaking the defensive line on his own 22 and almost making it to the opposition 22, Graham came away from the breakdown with the ball, Fearon and Pamphilon shifted it wide to winger Angus Dixon who cut back inside and almost made it to the line.
Kirkup arrived at pace and Graham set him up five yards out and he shrugged off the defenders to score in the corner. Nicolson’s conversion off the touchline brought Penrith to within a point trailing, 33-32.
Dudson limped off at this point and the home side never looked quite as dangerous and the visitors came back into the game, with 20 minutes to go they scored following a penalty kicked to the corner and lineout possession.
They then ran back a clearance kick with minutes to go and scored a well worked try, Penrith’s hopes of a losing bonus point to add to their four try bonus point had gone and try as they bravely did as the clock ran down they couldn’t come up with the score to win it back.
They had far from disgraced themselves, there was no lack of effort and there were a number of positives, one being the emergence of Jack Tunnicliffe as a back row forward, he had done well in the two previous away games, put himself about and won no little ball at the front of the lineout.
The Cumbrians now have a week off before making the long journey to next to bottom Stoke.
