Beverley began the second half of their league programme with a comfortable win in damp and murky conditions at Penrith. There were periodic bursts of good rugby but generally this was a pretty low key affair. Beverley RUFC never looked in danger of losing although for half an hour they made heavy weather of it. Twice early on they fell behind but on neither occasion did it seem more than a temporary hitch.
After having nearly all the early play and just when it seemed they must score Beverley lost possession allowing Penrith to break away from deep in their own half and score the game’s first try through wing Sandy Kerridge. Beverley were quickly back on the offensive but there was a slightly casual look to some of their play and several good chances went begging through careless handling.
After quarter of an hour they did take the lead with a well worked try, James Holland bursting through from an inside pass and putting James Lowe in under the posts. Phil Duboulay added the conversion and went on to convert all the rest of Beverley’s six tries, several from wide out.
Penrith were seldom in the Beverley half but they made one rare incursion count with a second try on twenty minutes when the ball was moved across field from a scrum on the left to full back Ben Littleton who had a simple run in. 10-7 to Penrith but that was it for them. A catch and drive from a lineout took the Beverley pack over for a try touched down by Holland and in the dying minutes of the half Junior Tupai glided over for a third. 21-10 up at the interval Beverley looked more or less home and dry.
But not quite. Penrith did narrow the gap three minutes into the second half when scrum half Ed Swales broke clear from some loose play and raced twenty metres to the line for a try which Littleton converted. The home backs stuck at it gamely and never stopped running at the Beverley defence but up front they were no match for the Beverley pack which carried far too much firepower. Alex Keeton, Sam Kerry and Alex Ogilvie are a formidable front row in anybody’s book, locks Aaron Carroll and Paul Steadman both put themselves about to good effect and the back row of Holland, Tony Riby-French until he was injured, and Tonci Buzov all made good ground with some powerful running.
Beverley continued to look in total command and any lingering hopes Penrith might have had of getting back into the game disappeared when hooker Ben Morgan and flanker Mike Stephens were simultaneously dismissed, Morgan with a red card for stamping. Play was held up for some time while Paul Steadman received treatment.
After that it was a comfortable ride for Beverley. When Beverley won a lineout fifteen metres out Carroll went over to secure a four try bonus point. Sam Kerry then showed a remarkable turn of speed with a determined run-in from twenty metres for a fifth try, and ten minutes from time Holland touched down for his second after another catch and drive to the line.
Penrith had put up a plucky performance despite being heavily outplayed and at the death they broke clear from their own line, kicked and chased upfield for fly half Paul Newton to make it to the line for a fourth try. Penrith could hardly have been begrudged their bonus point. It was perhaps their only consolation on a day that otherwise belonged entirely to Beverley.
Not a great match by any means but a satisfactory result for Beverley who have seldom found much joy at Penrith. There were several classy touches from Tupai and Tomasi Tanumi. Duboulay had a sound game at fly half and Robbie Davidson made an encouraging debut at full back. All in all a good day for Beverley who now move into the top six in National League Three.
Final Score: Penrith 24 Beverley RUFC 42 | Reported by John Nursey
