Penrith are now at the business end of the season and have suffered their second heavy defeat in as many week.Earlier in the season they could have been accused on occasions of not “turning up”, this wasn’t the case at Bradford on Saturday. They just came up against a strong pack whole completely dominated the set scrummage and it is very difficult to compete at this level when you win very little or no ball. Michael Raine has worked miracles over the years at the base of a scrum in reverse but the speed of retreat even tested his great powers.
The Cumbrians started well enough and had the lead with a Steve Wood penalty after only two minutes. Penrith looked reasonably in control when in possession of the ball, the problem was it didn’t happen too often and then not for long enough.
The games defining moment came when the Yorkshire outfit took the lead, they had the put in at a scrum five metres from the Penrith line and they proceeded, with some ease, to drive the Penrith eight back over their own line for the simplest of scores. Again Penrith caused problems with the ball in hand and the home side infringed on their 22 scrambling in defence, Wood reduced the deficit to one point but that was as good as it got.
The home side scored the next try in the corner after several phases of play, they whipped the ball one way and then the other until the visitors ran out of defenders.
Bradford then had the Penrith line under constant pressure and scored a further two tries from 5m scrums, although neither time they drove the Penrith men over the line, a shunt, a wheel and a back row pick up and drive was enough. As the half ended Penrith were chasing shadows and a sweeping move was finished by a swallow dive under the posts.
At 33-6 down as they turned around a real drubbing could have been on the cards but Penrith made a much better show of it in the second half, the home side didn’t appear to take their foot of the gas with the game in the bag so some credit could be taken in a second half were both sides scored only one try apiece.
Jon Fell squeezed in at the corner for the away try but it was the fronting up in defence that caught the eye. Some big hits from Ryan Johnson and James Sanderson raised the spirits and the whole side defended with passion and held their powerful opponents at bay on all bar one occasion.
Thoughts now turn to the two remaining league fixtures, after a cup game against Workington next week they have Birkenhead Park(H) and Altrincham Kersal(A). They are on the same number of points as third from bottom Beverley, in the final relegation spot, Penrith have the edge on points difference. So it’s quite simple they have to better, or at least as well as Beverley over these two games to play rugby at this level next season. Beverley have what looks a really tough game first up at second placed Rossendale then an eminently winnable home game against Burnage. “Squeaky Bum Time!”