On Saturday league leaders Huddersfield were the visitors to Winters
Park and they were on a nine game unbeaten run, hosts Penrith however
were coming into the game on the back of ten straight defeats and on
the surface any debate of the outcome of the game would appear futile.
The result certainly did follow the form book but the way the game
played out on the day definitely did not.
Penrith saw the task they faced as early as the first minute. The home
kick off did not go 10m and the first play of the game was a scrum on
the centre spot. The league leaders looking to exert their superiority
from the start shunted the Penrith scrummage backwards with some ease
and this was an area the home side would struggle all afternoon. In
this instance however the visiting No8 was unable to control the ball
which spun out loose, young up and coming flanker JJ Key was quickest
off the mark and claimed the ball. When it came to Mike Fearon he
rifled a kick into the 22 and the close attention of the chasing Ben
Littleton made sure the clearance kick didn't get out of the 22.
Penrith won the line out, both James Thornton and Will Morgan ran the
ball up hard in midfield and when it came back, Fearon had Mike Hawley
on his shoulder who took a short pop pass, broke the first line of
defence and easily made the try line. The home side were playing with a
good wind at their back and Fearon kicked intelligently to keep the
pressure on and after a good period of pressure were rewarded with a
penalty head on to the posts which Littleton kicked for and 8-0 lead.
Huddersfield were now getting into their stride and enjoying long
periods of possession and although the home defence was immense with
both forwards and backs tackling for all they were worth they were
fragile when faced with either a driving maul or at the set scrum. They
were to conceded their first score when the visitors kicked a penalty
to the corner and from an attacking 5m lineout won their own ball and
drove the maul over the line for a try, after a tremendous conversion
into the wind Penrith lead by the odd point.
They looked to have extended their lead when Gary Hodgson made good
yards and combined with Mike Stephens to put Scott Harrison away,
Harrison stepped the last defender and had the line at his mercy when
they were pulled back for a marginal forward pass.
Under severe pressure at the set scrum Penrith were being penalised on
a number of occasions and invariably Huddersfield then opted for a
further scrumage to further tighten the screw. As the first half came
to a close Penrith were penned on their own line with scrum after
scrum, they were penalised yet again and were expecting another set
piece when the visiting No8 took a quick tap and caught them unawares
and barged over for a second score. The conversion saw the home side
trailing 8-14 at the break and really it was a little harsh on them.
The second half set off along similar line with a series of scrums deep
in the home 22, this time all the defence was concentrated tight to the
scrum as the pick and go had been used relentlessly but this time a
pass was flipped out wide and the winger had a clear run to the corner.
Facing a strong wind and two scores down might have lead to a dip in
the home sides efforts but it was exactly the opposite, they came
storming back and vice-captain Ed Swale was the catalyst of the next
score, he took a quick tap penalty and ran at the retreating defensive
line, he almost wriggled through but Stephens was in support and drove
hard into the 22, the support was hot on his heels and the ball was
whipped out to the right and Hodgson went in at the corner.
Penrith were battling for all they were worth and slugging it out
manfully giving as good as they were getting on an increasingly heavy
pitch. The Yorkshire outfit were looking for a fourth try and looked to
have got their right winger away with a clear run at the line. He was
run down by the covering Key who had no right to catch him and he
tackled him into touch just short of the Penrith line. Penrith got the
ball back at the lineout but it ran loose and in a scramble it was lost
and a messy try claimed by the visitors.
There was 20 minutes left at this point and Huddersfield stepped up
their efforts to increase their lead but a stubborn Cumbrian defence
repelled wave after wave of attacks. The home side took some pride in
the fact that the only additional score was a penalty kick which the
visitors opted for after having attack after attack thrown back.
Although it was another defeat the whole Penrith side could take some
pride out of this performance, in their circumstances it would be easy
to hide but not one man did, every member of the squad put themselves
on the line.