It was a dark day for the Penrith side that made the trip to Sandal last Saturday and went down by the largest deficit recorded in recent years. It was one of those days when very little went right and one of those days when the ball always seemed to bounce the wrong way, to a large extent of course you make your own luck and to their credit Sandal were excellent.
Sandal are always quick out of the blocks at home and in recent seasons Penrith have weathered the storm and done reasonably well but this time they struggled to match the speed and high intensity of the home sides play. Sandal took the lead as early as the fourth minute and it was just reward for their opening onslaught, they scored again on quarter of an hour with a well worked move and good continuity off a 5m attacking lineout.
Penrith were doing their best to reply and Ben Littleton, on for James Sanderson who was and early victim of a hamstring pull, made good ground down the left wing. Play came back to the left and incisive running by Ryan Johnson and quick hands put Jon Fell away down the right and his pace took him away from the covering tackler.
The Yorkshire side then eased further ahead when the visitors were rather harshly penalised for offside, the penalty kick sailed over from the 10m line. Penrith turned the ball over at the kick off and when the home side were penalised for not releasing the ball carrier Steve Wood slotted the penalty and the Winter’s Park men were just about in touch at 17-8 down.
The next five minutes set the tone of the game as Penrith conceded two converted tries, they lost possession from the kick off and their scrambling defence held the home side up just short and they had to defend a 5m scrum. Again slick play put the winger over in the corner and when excellent running rugby saw the home side score direct from the kick off, the writing was on the wall, the home side were much quicker in thought and deed.
Penrith conceded a further try when they lost their own lineout on the 22 and at 38-8 down at half time it became a matter of damage limitation. The coach’s plight was not helped by the fact he now had little opportunity to refresh things off the bench as he had Gary Hodgson off the field with a head injury as well as Sanderson with a hamstring pull.
The second half pretty much mirrored the first with tries at regular intervals, it was a very warm day and Penrith wilted in the heat. The only bright point was Jon Fell’s quick thinking when gathering a loose ball on half way, a half break put Mike Hawley away who then fed young Littleton who sped in at the corner.
It will be back to basics for Penrith this week, some serious soul searching and a time to physically step up to the mark.