Friendly away at Carlisle starts the Season

Sunday 28th September 2014
Carlisle v Penrith under 12s
Penrith team:-Jacob Batey (Capt. &joint Man of the Match) Harry Chambers, Declan Devaney, Llewelyn Giggs, Tom Hill (Joint Man of the Match)Jonny Hope, Elliot Judge, Spencer Lancaster, Connor Robinson, Declan Parkinson, Bailey Potts, Liam Scott, Mathew Thompson, Andy Walsh, Thomas Wear, Adam Wilson.
Penrith under 12 team travelled to Carlisle on Sunday morning with a squad of 16 players. For three of them Llewelyn Giggs, Mathew Thompson and Andy Walsh this would be their first foray into competitive rugby since joining the squad over the summer.
After warming up in the bright autumn sunshine it was decided by the coaches that as this was a friendly fixture the teams would play three periods of twenty minutes each.
In the first period Carlisle kicked off and immediately put Penrith under pressure but Spencer Lancaster coolly kicked the ball back towards them. Tom Hill followed the ball up and tackled the opposition winning the ball and making it up to within 20metres of the try line before being tackled himself. Penrith kept the pressure up but an excellent intercept by a Carlisle player allowed a free run to the try line and Carlisle’s first try.
Both teams began to settle down and put together some good passing. However the referee Mr Tiffin had cause to award Penrith several penalties for infringements by Carlisle. Penrith capitalised on the possession and crashed over the line in a rolling maul allowing Declan Parkinson to level the score.
The second period of play saw Carlisle come out the stronger team and they quickly scored a second try. A third nearly came soon after but a thumping tackle by Spencer Lancaster disrupted the run of play. Despite Penrith defending well tries three four and five allowed Carlisle to pull ahead. Towards the end of the period Carlisle were penalised for holding onto the ball in the ruck and Penrith put together a lovely succession of passes down the line to allow Giggs space to sprint for the line and score Penrith`s second try.
In the final twenty minutes both teams were fairly equally matched with some excellent tackles by Tom Hill neutralising any potential threat that Carlisle posed. Andy Walsh put some good forward runs in moving the ball towards the try line. Eventually Penrith were awarded a scrum 5 metres from the line and Connor Robinson seized the opportunity to cut round the blindside to score Penrith`s third and final try. Even with Carlisle regularly giving away penalties, Penrith despite some good line position and clean passing couldn’t find the try line again as Carlisle continued to defend in strength. In the last play of the game Carlisle found the hole in Penrith`s defence and scored to give a final score of Carlisle 6 Penrith 3.
Man of the match was awarded jointly to Jacob Batey for organising the backs so well and playing a solid game and to Tom Hill for his work rate in both attack and defence.
Despite the final score Penrith looked the better organised team in possession of the ball and made good use of it but were caught flat footed at times when the opposition were attacking.