Penrith had gone top of the table two weeks before in their catch up game against West Hartlepool and knew nothing less than a win this Saturday against West Leeds would be needed to keep them there. They had been humbled at West Leeds earlier in the season when they were in a bad run of form, especially away from home which made them doubly keen to do well. Their home form has been decent all season and was to prove to be again as they turned in an excellent battling performance.
West Leeds sat in fifth place and they are a good side that likes to play decent rugby, not unlike like their hosts, and that proved to be the case from the off with both sides looking to open the game up at every opportunity. Penrith opened the scoring when Tom Lindsay claimed the loose ball at the tail of a messy lineout, Ed Swale tidied the ball and set Lee Chapman away and the visitors were penalised at the breakdown. Matt Allinson took aim and his penalty attempt bisected the posts for a three point advantage.
There was nothing in it at this stage in open play but the home side were getting much the better of the set scrums. They shunted the visiting eight off their own ball and Mike Raine shot away from No8 and almost made the line, the ball was made available and Penrith battered away at the visitor’s line. They could not break the Leeds rearguard down but the defenders were penalised on their own line and Penrith elected to take the scrum.
They didn’t drive their opposite numbers backwards but they did deliver tidy ball to Raine’s feet, he broke down the blind side, set George Graham away who made sure he drew all the cover in before slipping the ball to young winger, Olly May, who went in at the corner. Allinson hit a superb conversion off the touchline.
Penrith were warming to their task and pulled the lead out to 17 points when Jamie McNaughton ran the ball back from deep, he made ground before the ball came to Jay Rossi, he ducked and dodged and evaded several tacklers and then set Brad Taylor clean away on the outside who outstripped the cover to score under the posts. The Cumbrian’s first half performance was only marred by a penalty conceded on the stroke of half time and converted from distance with a sweet strike to make the score at the break 17-3.
West Leeds gathered themselves at half time and mounted an out and out assault on the Penrith line as the second half started. The hosts had their captain and stand off Swale yellow carded for an unintentional high tackle and the visitors looked to take advantage of the extra man. The home defence which has been excellent in recent weeks again held firm even if a man down. The Yorkshire outfit were however able to make up a bit of ground striking two penalties in the ten minutes of the yellow card to get themselves within striking distance.
Penrith rallied and had Graham’s quick thinking to thank for their next score, he tapped a penalty and was away before the defenders reacted, first swale and then Rossi continued the charge before 17 year old Joe Connelly, on off the bench at full back, took play up to the line. The forwards piled in to secure the ball and Taylor came off his wing to take a short ball close to the breakdown and crashed over.
The top of the table is extremely tight and the whole Penrith side were aware they really needed the fourth try and the bonus point it brought and they started to ramp up the pressure as the game went into the last ten minutes. They kicked two penalties to the corner and went close to scoring with catch and drives from the lineouts, they then drove the visitor’s eight off a set scrum on their own line and had a five metre scrum.
They won the scrum and the forwards mounted drive after drive from close range looking for the fourth try, the referee signalled another penalty and they threw the ball wide. Connelly looked to be in at the corner but was dragged down. Rossi got his hands on the ball and cut infield and he was also dragged to the ground, the ball then went down the narrow side and two sharp slick passes from Taylor and then Raine put May in at the corner, it was tight but he squeezed in for his second try of the game and his fourth in two senior matches.
West Leeds came hard at the home side in search of a consolation try as the game drew to a close but Penrith were determined to keep their line intact and their defence held out for a hard won victory.
The game was a lot harder than the scoreline suggests but Penrith had got the win they were looking for have now got to go to Alnwick next week and repeat the trick, their away form is much improved but it will be no easy task.