Carlisle 20 v Penrith 31
Saturday, 1st May 2010
At Wigton, the final was contested by the same two teams for the second successive year. It certainly did not live up to the the pre-match billing by some who were predicting a slaughter for the city side. Yes, in the opening half the Carlisle side were unsteady, and uncharacteristically nervous, especially in the opening quarter of the game. It was during this period that the Penrith side dominated and forced Carlisle onto the back foot for lengthy periods. The two sides met three times last season, twice in the league and the cup final, and on each occasion the Carlisle pack were the dominant force, but this time they struggled to achieve the same primacy.
The Carlisle pack had a hard time early in the game.
Four tries in arrears, three converted within twenty two minutes, the realisation dawned that whilst Penrith had the points on the board, they were not invincible! Carlisle began to get their game put together with winger Lee Tinnion and full back James Clarke both touching down wide out to claw back the deficit. There was genuine endeavour to haul themselves back into he game, and with the break beckoning, it looked like they would turn round just sixteen points in arrears. But, Penrith but the Carlisle defence under severe pressure in the closing stages, and they grabbed another five points two minutes into added time.
Unfortunate it may have been, but it certainly galvanised Steve Stamper (skipper) and his men. After the turn round, and with the wind advantage, the gave Penrith a torrid time, and had they had a little more luck, could have turned the game round. Penrith were forced into frantic defence, and certainly didn’t look like adding to their first half affort.
Glen Weightman, perhaps a little unsure on the day, found a penalty after seven minutes and Lee Brumpton (number eight) touched down in the sixty fourth minute when the Penrith pack were shoved back over their own line. Now with only eleven points between the teams, Carlisle scented they might still be able to turn the gameround. They piled the pressure on Penrith and with eight minutes remaining, scrum half Ben Blain was powering down the left wing, he chipped the ball over the last man, and had he not been cynically tackled without the ball and bundled into touch, he would have made the line. A blatant try scoring chance that was thwarted by unsporting play, with the only the referee thinking a penalty try was justified!
That was the telling moment of the game, and despite their heroic second half efforts, Carlisle just could not make it count.
Pictured before the cup final at Wigton, the Carlisle squad & officials
Standing L to R: Martin Plummer (Chairman of Rugby), Gareth Wylie, Martin Kalinowski, Lee Tinnion, James Clark, Ollie Barker, Gary Graham, Steve Stamper (Capt), Paul Halliday, Mark Barron, Martin McGimpsey, Graham Kidd, Chris Harris, Dan Smithson, Carl Wills, Glen Weightman, Pete Riddle (Manager), David Burnett (President).
Kneeling L to R: Lee Brumpton, Tom Graham, Ben Blain, Lee Askew, Bobby Sherlock, Dan Holmes, George Graham, John Bowman.
SCORERS FOR CARLISLE:
TRIES: Lee Tinnion (1) James Clarke (1) Lee Brumpton (1)
CONS: Glen Weightman (1)
PENS: Glen Weightman (1)
PICK OF THE PACK:
Gary Graham
BEST OF THE BACKS:
Ben Blain
THE STARTING XV:
15 James Clarke
14 Lee Tinnion
13 Chris Harris
12 Lee Askew (Dan Holmes)
11 Ollie Barker (Jack Oddie)
10 Glen Weigtman
9 Ben Blain (George Graham)
1 Steve Stamper (Capt)
2 Tom Graham (John Bowman)
3 Martin Kalinowski
4 Gary Graham
5 Mark Barron
6 Dan Smithson (Gareth Wylie)
7 Bobby Sherlock
8 Lee Brumpton
16 John Bowman
17 Martin McGimpsey
18 Gareth Wylie
19 Paul Halliday
20 George Graham
21 Dan Holmes
22 Jack Oddie
