Penrith were guilty of playing the wrong game on the Wirral looking for
their third win of the season against newly promoted New Brighton. The
home side had a big strong pack but they weren't desperately mobile and
behind the pack their backs were solid but lacked the pace and guile of
their opposite numbers. It was crying out for a fast open game with the
ball being moved about the park at every opportunity along with the
home forwards. The Penrith pack however wanted to take them on upfront
and the game developed into an "arm wrestle" the home side were better
equipped to win.
Penrith started well enough and in the first half looked the better
side, it was however the home side who had the first chance to open the
scoring but a penalty 30m out head on to the posts was missed. Pale
Tuilagi missed a more difficult penalty shot but from the resulting 22
drop out the ball went straight into touch and Penrith had a scrum on
the 22. The ball was moved to the right and with Jamie McNaughton up
from fullback making the extra man Jon Fell was put away on the
outside, he only had to evade the covering tackle and he was in at the
corner. The tackle came in head high and although the Penrith winger
picked himself up and got over in the corner the referee had already
awarded a penalty try. This made the conversion a formality and Tuilagi
chipped it over.
As the first half continued the visitors created more chances but were
unable to finish any of them, they were running the ball up into
contact too many times before releasing the backs and increasing the
chance of the ball being turned over by the home forwards who were
competing well at the breakdown.
Penrith turned round at with a seven point advantage and there were no
alarm bells ringing and looked likely to score from a 5m scrum just
minutes into the half, a second score could well have killed off the
game but they couldn't manage it.
As the second half progressed the home side were allowed to dictate the
pace of the game, they played to their strengths, slowed the game down
and the visitors were unable to up the tempo and got dragged into a
dogfight. At every break in play there would be a home player down
injured needing attention while his teammates got their breath back, it
was very frustrating for the visitors who never really got into their
stride.
The home side levelled the score from an attacking 5m lineout and
although their initial drive was halted a drive round the fringes lead
to the score. The home side scored another converted try when they
turned the ball over 30m out and Penrith, down to 14 men at this stage
were on the back foot and were outmuscled as the home side rumbled over.
Penrith upped their efforts and again looked like scoring from a 5m
scrum after the ball was knocked on the New Brighton line from a
speculative kick upfield but again they just failed as the home defence
held up. They did score after fielding a clearance kick, the ball was
moved smartly to the right before been run hard up the middle by
Jarrett Crouch, it was then transferred quickly to Darren Lee on the
left wing who for the first time in the game had some open field in
front of him and his out and out pace did the rest. The conversion
slipped agonisingly just wide and with 10 minutes to go Penrith were
still trailing.
To their credit the New Brighton pack saw it out frustrating the
visitors with their slow motion rugby, Penrith did try to run the
possession they did get but it was too little too late and they will
have to up their thinking and their game against an unbeaten Kendal
next up. In recent years they have never struggled to lift themselves
when they play their near neighbours so the large crowd expected for
Saturday's game will witness a keen contest.