Although the score would suggest a bad day at the office Penrith's
management team and band of travelling supporters headed home more than
happy with the performance of their young side. They had four teenagers
in the starting line-up and all four played out of their skins. Young
wingers Ross Jackson and Jamie McNaughton were outstanding and in the
back row JJ Key and Dan Richardson belied their age and played like
gnarled veterans.
As one senior player said after the game "the kids started at such a
pace the rest of us knew we had to put in a real shift to keep up with
them". They were however up against a semi professional outfit who were
well drilled and very well financed and were much bigger and stronger
and although the Penrith boys gave it everything they had that was
going to tell in the end.
The game started pretty evenly with Penrith right in the faces of the
home side when they were in possession and running the ball with a bit
of verve when they got their chance, the first couple of times the ball
came to McNaughton he beat defenders and made serious yardage and it
was the best start they have made all season especially away from home.
Sale did open the scoring, they kicked a penalty to the corner and the
Penrith pack then successfully defended a 5m lineout and then an
attempted pushover 5m scrum but when the ball was spun away from the
scrum the gap was found. The Cumbrians came right back and kicked a
penalty into the home 22 for an attacking lineout. The forwards tried
several drives but the home defence held firm but when the ball was
spun to the backs McNaughton came into the line off the blind side
wing, pulled in the tacklers and threw a miss pass to Ross Jackson who
rounded the winger, he still had the last defender to beat but stepped
him with ease and with the conversion missed into the wind Penrith
trailed 7-5.
The game at this stage was in the balance and the visitors came close
to taking the lead with Jackson getting away and playing a pop pass to
Mike Hawley coming up quickly on his outside only for him to be a yard
short and the ball going astray. The game was won and lost in a mad 10
minutes before halftime, the Sale scrumhalf took advantage of a gap
close to the breakdown and sniped down the narrow side to score and
then Sale were to score twice from the restart to put the game out of
sight at the break leading 26-5.
Sale had gone from looking quite unsure of themselves to looking like
world beaters and the second half looked as if it might be a real
struggle but Penrith started on the front foot and got right into them
once more. Jackson ran half the length of the field to take play up to
the home 22 and both James Thornton and Alex Corner made really strong
runs deep in the 22 but couldn't break through.
The visitors battled hard but were to concede two tries, both when they
lost possession of the ball too easily, they then conceded another just
about on time which was cruel and certainly flattered the home side. As
they game finished the Cumbrians were about out on their feet but were
still battering away in the Sale 22 trying for a second score.
It may have been another defeat but with one eye on the future thy
showed a lot of commitment and a great deal of promise.