Penrith took a young and relatively inexperienced side on the long trek
to Beverley and it showed as they came up against a strong, slick and
streetwise outfit. The result was hard enough to bear but it happens.
It is the loss to what looks like a long term injury of Pale Tuilagi
and a ban for front row man Glenn Carr that will be harder to bear in
the coming weeks.
Hopes were high before kick off, this exciting young side had showed
great spirit the week before to come back from a 17 point deficit to
claim the draw and nearly the win and the return of James Thornton and
Phil Armstrong also helped.
They started well enough and had possession in dangerous positions
without really threatening the home line but the first time the home
side had the ball in hand they cut the Penrith backline apart. From a
lineout just inside their own half they moved the ball neatly wide, a
popped pass back inside to the runner from deep threw the defence and
once in behind the Penrith frontline they took full advantage and
scored in the corner.
The game was still very even, vice captain Ed Swale was always busy and
his chip and chase on the home 22 resulted in a 5m scrum after the
defender was forced behind the line and caught by the chasers. The
scrum was won and although the ball ran loose the defence was penalised
for a kick at goal. The kick went wide but Penrith were still well in
the hunt.
They had to play 10 minutes with 14 men when Armstrong was unlucky to
be penalised for a late tackle, they managed to survive without
conceding a score in this period and actually looked the more likely to
score but once restored to a full compliment increasingly came under
pressure. Thornton looked to have lifted the siege when he stole the
ball but the Cumbrians were penalised at the next breakdown and the
penalty looked eminently kickable. To their relief it went wide and
they had a 22 drop out.
The kick went long and when the chaser clean missed the first up tackle
on the winger, he was again in behind the defence and again they did
not waste the chance with a second try. There were three minutes left
on the clock to half time and the whistle could not come quick enough
for a Penrith side needing to regroup. Beverley put together a series
of phases, pinned the visitors on their line and ended the half with a
third try.
At 15-0 down and looking to play up the slope and into the wind
Penrith's task looked a steep one, they started off in determined mood
and good pressure gave them a put in to a 5m scrum in the corner. They
won the ball scrappily then lost it but when the home side also allowed
the ball to spin loose Carr was on hand to gather it and force his way
over in the corner. It wasn't the most convincing of scores but when
Tuilagi converted into the wind off the touchline Penrith were back in
the game at 15-7.
Hopes were short lived though, Thornton gathered the restart, it was
run up in midfield on the 22 but they lost the ball at the breakdown
which happened all to often, the home side were alive to the situation,
broke and chipped a side set up to regain possession and won the race
for the touchdown in the deadball area. Their leading margin was
immediately restored and the rest of the afternoon was Beverley's.
Part of the game is playing to the referee and the home side were doing
this perfectly getting away with murder at the breakdown while the
younger more naïve visitors looked on.
They went further behind when a home scrum was wheeled on half way, the
referee was putting his whistle to his lips but didn't blow, the home backrow broke
with the Penrith back row out of the game and again the finish was
clinical, at 29-7 the game was over as a contest but worse was to
follow.
Tuilagi in attempting to charge a kick down had to leave the field
following a bad pull to his calf, shortly after Mike Stephens had to
give in to a neck injury and also left the field. Carr was then red
carded for what the referee saw as a punch and in among that the home
side ran in two more converted tries. A very poor day at the office.
Penrith will have to quickly reorganise for the visit of Billingham
next weekend, it wasn't quite all bad news. Teenagers Dan Richardson
and JJ Key acquitted themselves well, there was plenty of endeavour and
at no point did they ever give in. In light of the set backs this will
be a week where you will learn a lot about the character of the squad.