Rock bottom Penrith faced a mountainous task at table topping Stockport
on Saturday, the dry conditions for the hosts brand of running rugby
was perfect for them and the Penrith players knew before they started
they were in for a long hard afternoon. That said they stuck to their
task and although the scoreboard did not suggest it they did their
utmost to make Stockport's task as difficult as possible.
They got off to the worst possible start, a clearance kick from full
back Ben Littleton was charged down and the home side were gifted a
five point lead before there were two minutes on the clock. Penrith
stuck to their task and got in the faces of the league leaders and
forced handling mistakes and were able to play a bit of rugby
themselves. Youngster Jamie McNaughton showed his paces breaking from
deep and beating several tacklers and Dan Richardson did well in the
lineouts and at the base of the scrum before being cruelly injured.
Penetrating running down the right by Mike Hawley and Jon Fell got the
Cumbrians in an attacking position in the 22 and the home side were
penalised at the breakdown and the boot of Mike Fearon brought the
visitors within two points. Penrith held on for a while but a period of
good continuity saw the Stockport No8 score a well worked try and they
then took a tap and go from a penalty in their own 22 and scored from
distance and you could see their self belief growing.
Fearon did manage another penalty but the home side added a fourth try
on the stroke of half time and Penrith turned around 24-6 in arrears
which did rather flatter the home side. Stockport however pressed home
their advantage in the second period, they scored from the kick off and
then scored three quick tries and as the game went into the final
quarter Penrith trailed 52-6 and it looked like a real drubbing was on
the cards.
Even at fifty points down Penrith heads did not go down and it would
not have been possible to do any more than captain Ryan Johnson did to
try and stem the tide. They held out for twenty minutes and in among
hands McNaughton was able to grab an opportunist try, picking up an
interception deep in his own half and running some 80 metres to score
with none of the chasing defenders looking anything like catching him.
Penrith then conceded a ninth try in the final play of the game from a
5m scrum. It had just been a matter of damage limitation but no one
could point the finger at anyone of the 18 man squad and claim they had
not put their body on the line and had not given it everything.