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Sat 26 Mar 2022 · North One West
Firwood Waterloo
1st XV
40
17
Tries: B Taylor, F Nicolson, C JacksonConversions: M Fearon
WATERLOO 40 PENRITH 17
Mike Sanderson28 Mar 2022 - 20:09
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PENRITH GIVE DECENT ACCOUNT OF THEMSELVES
The final score line might suggest Penrith got a bit of a pasting on the road but that was not how the game panned out. For long periods there was little between the sides and early in the second half they looked as if they might pull off an unlikely away win but the strength, experience and nous of the home side told in the end.
Penrith got the best of starts after six minutes, Jamie McNaughton hoisted a hopeful punt out of his own half and the home back three failed to deal with it and allowed the ball to bounce, Brad Taylor was up quickly and managed to gather the ball and flick it up to Arran Pamphilon. He took it at pace and made big inroads into the home 22. He was eventually brought down but the support was there quickly, the ruck was won and when the ball came to Taylor he cut a line and went in by the posts without a hand being laid on him, Mike Fearon's conversion was good and his side had an early lead.
They continued to press and strong running by Andy Muir and a scything break by McNaughton got them back on the home line but they couldn't quite get over. They did score next though from a scrum 40m out, Muir broke down the short side from No8 and drew the man to put young scrum half, Tom Kirk away, on his debut. He in turn found Dylan Cowperthwaite on the right wing, he looked certain to be bundled into touch but managed to twist out of contact and make it into the 22. Josh Winder was hot on his heels and when he was eventually tackled secured the ball and it ended up in Fearon's hands. He had the vision to see Fraser Nicolson in acres of space wide on the left wing and chipped the ball across the pitch in front of him and Nicolson had the relatively easy task of gathering the ball and going in at the corner.
The home side then got back into the game, a Penrith infringement allowed them to kick a penalty to the corner and they played to their strength, won the lineout, set up the catch and drive and slowly but surely edged their way over for a converted try.
McNaughton then sent an inch perfect line kick from a penalty into the corner for the Cumbrians to try the catch and drive from 5m themselves, Chris Jackson won the ball at the tail of the lineout but they weren't quite strong enough to force their way over and were held up.
Archie Rattray then kept his sides noses in front when Waterloo had a kick and chase out of their own 22, the ball sat up nicely for the chaser, he looked to be outpacing the cover with ball in hand when the 17 year old flanker seemingly appeared out of no where to run him down. On the stroke of half time the home side did level the scores, after a period of pressure in the visitors' 22 a quickly taken penalty close to the line caught out the defenders and the home side scored a second try.
With the scores tied at 12-12 Penrith had everything to play for in the second half and started well enough, Taylor ran a clearance kick back and linked with Nicolson who found McNaughton, he chipped ahead and Nicolson narrowly lost out on the chase to the line. They then had a 5m scrum and although smaller the Penrith pack had the better of the set scrums, they looked as if they were going to shunt their bigger opponents over the line for a push over try but a knock on denied them the score.
The game at this point looked as if it could go either way but in two minutes at the end of the third quarter the game was won and lost, the home side scored two tries, both from their own half, one down either flank helped by some poor cover tackling and with both being run under the posts the game was as good as over at 26-12.
As the game went into the last 10 minutes Waterloo's pack took charge and rumbled over for another two tries but Penrith did have the last word and Jackson barged his way over from a tap penalty deep in the home 22.
The Penrith management team would be delighted by the performances of the youngsters in their side, Winder and Rattray in the back row and Kirk at scrum half. The calming influence of Pamphilon returning after breaking his nose and firming up the midfield would also please them, they now will hope to return to winning ways against Wilmslow on Saturday.
Penrith got the best of starts after six minutes, Jamie McNaughton hoisted a hopeful punt out of his own half and the home back three failed to deal with it and allowed the ball to bounce, Brad Taylor was up quickly and managed to gather the ball and flick it up to Arran Pamphilon. He took it at pace and made big inroads into the home 22. He was eventually brought down but the support was there quickly, the ruck was won and when the ball came to Taylor he cut a line and went in by the posts without a hand being laid on him, Mike Fearon's conversion was good and his side had an early lead.
They continued to press and strong running by Andy Muir and a scything break by McNaughton got them back on the home line but they couldn't quite get over. They did score next though from a scrum 40m out, Muir broke down the short side from No8 and drew the man to put young scrum half, Tom Kirk away, on his debut. He in turn found Dylan Cowperthwaite on the right wing, he looked certain to be bundled into touch but managed to twist out of contact and make it into the 22. Josh Winder was hot on his heels and when he was eventually tackled secured the ball and it ended up in Fearon's hands. He had the vision to see Fraser Nicolson in acres of space wide on the left wing and chipped the ball across the pitch in front of him and Nicolson had the relatively easy task of gathering the ball and going in at the corner.
The home side then got back into the game, a Penrith infringement allowed them to kick a penalty to the corner and they played to their strength, won the lineout, set up the catch and drive and slowly but surely edged their way over for a converted try.
McNaughton then sent an inch perfect line kick from a penalty into the corner for the Cumbrians to try the catch and drive from 5m themselves, Chris Jackson won the ball at the tail of the lineout but they weren't quite strong enough to force their way over and were held up.
Archie Rattray then kept his sides noses in front when Waterloo had a kick and chase out of their own 22, the ball sat up nicely for the chaser, he looked to be outpacing the cover with ball in hand when the 17 year old flanker seemingly appeared out of no where to run him down. On the stroke of half time the home side did level the scores, after a period of pressure in the visitors' 22 a quickly taken penalty close to the line caught out the defenders and the home side scored a second try.
With the scores tied at 12-12 Penrith had everything to play for in the second half and started well enough, Taylor ran a clearance kick back and linked with Nicolson who found McNaughton, he chipped ahead and Nicolson narrowly lost out on the chase to the line. They then had a 5m scrum and although smaller the Penrith pack had the better of the set scrums, they looked as if they were going to shunt their bigger opponents over the line for a push over try but a knock on denied them the score.
The game at this point looked as if it could go either way but in two minutes at the end of the third quarter the game was won and lost, the home side scored two tries, both from their own half, one down either flank helped by some poor cover tackling and with both being run under the posts the game was as good as over at 26-12.
As the game went into the last 10 minutes Waterloo's pack took charge and rumbled over for another two tries but Penrith did have the last word and Jackson barged his way over from a tap penalty deep in the home 22.
The Penrith management team would be delighted by the performances of the youngsters in their side, Winder and Rattray in the back row and Kirk at scrum half. The calming influence of Pamphilon returning after breaking his nose and firming up the midfield would also please them, they now will hope to return to winning ways against Wilmslow on Saturday.
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