It might seem a bit silly talking about must win games in the first month of the season but that was the feeling at the Penrith club before the game with Sandbach on Saturday, neither club had recorded a win in their first four games and this was the ideal opportunity for both to break their duck.
The home side came out quickly and went close to scoring after kicking a penalty to the corner, Archie Rattray won clean lineout ball and their forwards got to the line with captain Adam Howe being held up. From the kick out they ran the ball back hard, Joe Kirkup and Mike Fearon combined to get close to the line, Andy Rogers almost made the line and then Chris Jackson used all his strength to force his way over for the opening score.
The home faithful were pleased to see their side get their noses in front but it didn't last long, the visitor's livewire scrum half took a quick tap penalty on the 22 five minutes later and was away before anyone reacted, seven points apiece.
Fearon had an attempted penalty from half way that went wide and the home side were then camped in the opposition half. They were having much the better of the set scrums and Rattray went close breaking from the back of a 5m scrum. They then managed a second score with the ball coming to the backs straight from the scrum, Joe Spencely who had been running the ball up hard in the inside centre channel made the dummy run and checked the cover. Fearon found Harvey Johnston who quickly found Rob Coward coming off the blind side wing who spread the ball wide to Ross Jackson who went in the corner for a quality score.
17 year old Isaac Murray was making his debut at fullback and had had a steady start to the game, he now announced himself to senior rugby with a superb take of a high ball and shortly after put in an excellent raking touch finder kick. He had a great game hardly putting a foot wrong.
The Cumbrians were having the better of the game but couldn't turn their superiority into points until the last play of the first half. After a bout of aerial ping pong Scott Lancaster ran the ball hard into contact and when the ruck ball came to Fearon he spotted the gap and was through it and on to the last defender. He threw a dummy that looked as if he only changed his mind at the final moment, the fullback completely bought it and he had a clear run in under the posts.
The home side had a 19-7 lead at the break and may have fancied another score for a bonus point try but that's not how the second half turned out at all. They started brightly enough but were soon under the cosh and the last half hour turned out to be real backs to the wall stuff with a lot of last ditch defending and no little effort and commitment.
15 minutes in to the second half they held up a catch and drive from an attacking 5m lineout but not to the satisfaction of the referee who awarded a penalty try and Penrith had a player yellow carded. Within two minutes a second player was also yellow carded for an offence after Sandbach ran a penalty so they were down to 13 men and it was then all hands to the pumps.
The visitors spent long periods on the home line but they couldn't find the try, great work by Jack Huddart and Johnston saved the day on one occasion but it was a team effort. They found life rather easier when the full complement were back on the field but it was still no easy task. The tackle count was high but they held out and were mightily relieved after Sandbach threw caution to the wind in one last effort in stoppage time when they won a penalty on their 22 and were able to bang it into touch to end the game.
It had not been a thing of beauty in the second half but they had their mettle tested and were not found lacking. There's now a week off, this result will give the youngsters in the side a bit of confidence and hopefully after the break one or two may be back and they can build their season from here.