The analysis of Penrith's defeat in the North East on Saturday was
quite simple, their inability to hold their own at the set scummage
cost them the game. Three of Percy Park's six tries came directly from
problems at the scrum and after the first half hour the home side's
dominance in that department overshadowed the whole game.
Penrith had a pretty good first quarter and looked the likely winners,
the hosts struggled to bother the Penrith defence and they scored a
nice try to take an early lead. Will Morgan made the initial half break
and slipped the ball out of the tackle to the galloping Mike Stephens
who took play up to the home 22. The ball came quickly right and Carl
Forber found Ben Littleton on his outside and Littleton outpaced any
cover there was for a well worked try.
The Penrith side was not desperately well balanced before the game with
back row forward Gary Hodgson playing at inside centre but almost
before the game began they lost winger Sandy Kerridge to an unfortunate
elbow injury and the previous week's Man of the Match Dan Richardson
was to spend the rest of the game out on the wing rather than in the
engine room, just why was a bit of a mystery. With two forwards in the
backs their options were rather limited but until the set scrum
imploded it looked as if it would be more than enough.
They had turned out one of the biggest packs in recent years and Tom
Dawson, Alex Corner and Harlan Corrie, all playing their first game of
the season for the senior team appeared to have enough grunt but that
all changed.
The home side changed their front row and changed the face of the game.
Joe Ellis at No8 had been running nicely off the back of the scrum and
now if he could secure any sort of possession he was doing well. Percy
Park had countered Penrith's try with a penalty following a high tackle
and taken the lead when their speedy centre had avoided a couple of
tackles on half way in broken play and then found his path to the line
open.
As half time approached Penrith were penalised at the scummage, the
penalty was kicked to the corner and the home pack worked the catch and
drive from the 5m lineout to perfection for an easy score.
Penrith went into the break 15-5 down and it very soon was worse,
another penalty, this time kicked to the Cumbrian's 22 and they
proceeded to catch and drive to the line from their and pull their lead
out to 22-5. Although under pressure at the scrummage Penrith continued
to battle, the forwards mounted an assault on the home line and
battered away, it was only when the ball went blind and Forber and
Littleton combined again they made some headway and Littleton flew in
at the corner.
They couldn't get away from the scrum problem and were at sixes and
sevens when penalised when they lost their put in on their own line,
the ball was spun quickly and the fourth try conceded. Penrith again
battled back, Scott Harrison ran a clearance kick back, broke a couple
of tackles and released the ball to the right, Littleton looked to have
the line at his mercy and ran when he might have passed, he didn't
quite make the line but the forwards arrived and after several pick and
goes Glenn Carr forced his way over the line for a third Penrith try.
Forber's conversion brought the score back to 27-17 and Penrith had
some thing to play for, another try would give them a losing bonus
point and a four try bonus point.
It was not to be as Penrith lost another 5m scrum and were driven off
the ball and over the line and then in added time conceded a sixth. Not
a good day at the office