Penrith probably thought they were taking a strange squad north of the border for their second trial game but they would not think so on the way back having turned over a big, well drilled Biggar side. Again they had struggled with unavailabilities with more unable to travel than those that could but it did gave the chance for the youngsters, who could travel, to shine.
Head Coach David Preston told his players before the game it wasn't about who wasn't there it was all about who was there, they took him at his word and the whole squad put in a real shift for him. The back row in particular looked a bit makeshift but they were outstanding, marshaled by Liam Tunstall at No 8, 17 year old Robbie Phillipson at flanker ran the ball up and tackled as if his life depended on it and the tackling of Mo Geranshoab, making his senior debut, was a revelation.
The game was played in four quarters and the home side had the better of the first, they went through their phases, practiced their moves but this Penrith side stuck to their task and made life as difficult as they could for the bigger stronger home side. Biggar did score a well worked try and this won them the first period.
Penrith came more into the game as the game progressed, they had a bit more possession and were able to put the ball through the hands and put some phases of play together. George Graham stole a try to put them on even terms, he picked the pocket of the home scrum half at the base of the set scrum and ran in from some 40 yards out.
The afternoon was deteriorating and was turning from damp to torrential, handling was becoming difficult and Nathan Wooff pounced when his opposite number dropped the ball, he hacked it on into the 22 before gathering it and slipping the pass to Matt Allinson who went over. The home side did score a second try but at half time it was two tries apiece but Penrith lead 12-10 courtesy of a Wooff touchline conversion.
It got wetter in the second half which was a bit of a leveller and the Cumbrians continued to frustrate the home side with their never say die attitude and superior fitness, neither side really threatened and as the play was largely confined to the middle of the field. As the clock ticked down it looked as if Penrith might come away with an unlikely win but with five minutes they put the icing on the cake.
The forwards put a series of drives together with Phillipson and Adam Howe making good ground before releasing the backs, Allinson faced with a prop in mid field made the break and then set Jay Rossi away to score the try. Allinson, who had had an excellent afternoon slotted the conversion to make the victory certain.
After the game Preston praised the attitude of his squad and he will now have the headache of selecting a side taking into consideration those who were there and those who weren't