Penrith’s early season bandwagon kept rolling at Driffield with a 24-8 victory.
It was their third maximum point win from the three games so far in this Regional 1 North East campaign.
Like the first two wins it owed nothing to any fancy play just honest graft, commitment and pure effort. They outworked their hosts and thoroughly deserved their win.
The match was played in very poor conditions with varying degrees of downpour throughout the afternoon along with a strong wind.
The home side had the first use of it, however conditions underfoot were good and the pitch held up well.
The Cumbrians started strongly and had plenty of possession and played the game in the home half, winning a series of penalties in the 22.
The first they opted for a scrum and the second they kicked to the corner for a line-out but although they went close they couldn’t quite force the opening score.
Joe Kirkup, some 15 yards out, took the third himself and went for the line.
He was hauled down inches short and when the ball was recycled it came left to Harley Johnson who took three defenders over the line with him for the opening try. Isaac Murray converted for a seven point lead.
Penrith then had to do a bit of defending after the re-start bounced into touch on the visitors’ 22 for a line-out in a dangerous position.
Hooker Lee Chapman found Matt Austwick with an accurate throw and the ball was cleared.
Arran Pamphilon was then called on when the ball was chipped ahead into the corner and his covering tackle took the chasing winger and the ball into touch.
The visitors successfully defended the line-out on their own line and their next chance came with a Murray penalty to touch on the home 22.
The ball was won and Johnson ran it up strongly in midfield with the momentum kept up by Jack Gaskell.
He went to ground and Chapman was quick to snap-up the ball and surge through the breakdown. He was closing on the line before getting the ball away to George Graham who crossed for the second try that went unconverted.
The home side then hit back with a long-range penalty from the 10 metre line and then had an easier penalty shot when Adam Howe was penalised and carded for a high tackle.
This effort went wide and Penrith turned around with the wind and a 12-3 lead.
Driffield then had their best period in the first ten minutes of the second half with the visitors down to 14 men.
They applied some pressure and scored their only try just after Penrith were restored to full strength. It was a bit of a soft try from a scrum on half-way but went unconverted.
They were within a score but Penrith’s forwards had dominated the set scrum and midway through the second half turned it into points.
They had the put-in at a five metre scrum and they moved the ball and didn’t quite make the line.
The home side were awarded a scrum on their own line. The Penrith eight shunted them off their own ball and won a penalty, and opted for another scrum.
This time they took their time, slowly eased the home pack over their own line and Greg Wrathall bagged the push-over try from number eight.
They were not long in adding the fourth and bonus point try.
After a series of phases play was up to the home ten metre line where Kirkup drove the ball down the narrow blindside.
He burst a couple of tackles before drawing in the last defenders and releasing Olly Bibby outside him on the wing, He had the simple task of using his pace down the outside to score.
The game was as good as over with only 13 minutes left and a 16 point lead.
It could have been more as both Murray and Graham got to the line after strong runs only for the ball to be spilt.
The game finished with the visitors denying the home side a consolation try as they finished strongly.
This was an excellent win on a miserable afternoon on the longest away trip of the season.
The whole squad had been completely committed to the cause and beaten one of the pre- season front runners for the league.
