Penrith, once again, went into the game with a patched up set of forwards. Three of them were making their first appearance for the 1st XV this season, the squad was not finalised until late on Friday night and Head Coach David Preston again found himself in the starting line up.
Despite this the game started well for the Cumbrians, George Graham took the kick off and the ball was moved across the field, Jamie McNaughton made the break to get out of his 22 then hacked on and caught the home fullback under his own posts with the ball but Waterloo managed to clear their lines. The home side were penalised after Preston disrupted their ball at the breakdown, backchat gave the visitors another 10m and Matt Allinson put the ball in the corner for the attacking lineout. They went close but finally opened the scoring following a Waterloo clearance. McNaughton, who ran dangerously all afternoon, ran the ball back, he was brought down and the home side were penalised at the breakdown. Allinson knocked the penalty over with some confidence.
There was little between the sides at this stage although Waterloo were having rather more of the play, they levelled the scores after Penrith ran a quick penalty and lost the ball, they were caught on the hop when the turn over ball was run back at them. They were penalised as they scrambled in defence for the equalising penalty. Allinson restored his side's three point lead when the home pack was penalised at the scrum with another well struck penalty.
As the first half came to an end Penrith were finding themselves under increasing pressure as the home side were getting up a head of steam and having much the better of things, Waterloo stormed the visitor's line after a poor clearance kick and finally got the opening try of the game. They went close to scoring from the restart and only a brave tackle from McNaughton who was having trouble with his shoulder kept them out. They did win a penalty which was successfully taken and they led 13-6 at the break.
After what had been a closely fought first half Waterloo upped their game further, they scored a converted try with a clean break down the middle of the field and then another after a clever kick forced Penrith to concede a 5m scrum. The No8 broke and almost made the line, the ball was then moved left for the score.
Penrith now trailed by 21 points and it looked like a long half hour until the final whistle. They did keep plugging away and managed their first try after kicking a penalty to the corner. The influential Liam Tunstall took the lineout ball and the maul was driven for the line but went down. There was then a series of drives for the line which took play along the try line from left to right. The ball was then spun quickly along the back line to the right and winger Jon Fell took his try well and squeezed in at the left corner.
The visitor's joy was short lived and any hopes of a comeback quashed as Waterloo scored almost straight after with a simple scissors move that opened up the Penrith defence far too easily. They trailed by 21 points once more and they still trailed by 21 points as the game went into the final 10 minutes.
At this stage the home side started to fade badly and Penrith were spending increasingly more time in their 22 with ball in hand. They scored a second try after good work by the forwards, Mike Stephens had come on at half time to replace Preston for his first game in two seasons and was making his presence felt. Hard driving play by Tom Lindsay took play to the line, Graham attacked down the short side and he found Will Morgan on the outside who took the ball neatly and went in at the corner. Allinson hit another long conversion to fetch the deficit down to 14.
Play was again deep in the home 22, they were trying to run the ball out of their own 22 and run down the clock but lost possession. Jay Rossi, with the turnover ball jinked his way over for a third try. The score was again wide out and Allinson had this conversion to fetch the lead down to seven points and earn a losing bonus point, he again struck the ball confidently but it smacked back off the post and it looked as if the chance of getting something out of the game had gone.
The home side were slow to the restart, they kicked long and the kick was taken by Jack Warrior who set up Lindsay who stormed up the middle, when he was brought down the ball came to Allinson who also made ground before the ball went right and Tunstall hit the gap to take play up to the 22. He drew the fullback and Morgan was in support, the ball then went to McNaughton who drew the last of the cover before flicking it back inside to Ed Swale who scampered in under the posts.
Swale, with eyes on a further try to win the game, knocked the conversion over with a drop goal and headed back for the restart but the final whistle went and Penrith had both a four try and losing bonus point. They had secured two points away from home from a virtually impossible position with ten minutes to go, they can ask themselves how they got themselves in that position but in the final reckoning it felt more like two points won rather than two points lost.