BackSat 08 Feb 2025 · Regional 1 North West
1st XVPenrith
Tries: D Harvey (3), M Williams, T AkehurstConversions: R James (4)Penalties: R James (2)Yellow Carded: A Don, N Hearn
39
32
Wirral Win Ten-try Thriller
Andrew Broadbent9 Feb - 12:07
Our matches with Penrith have always proved to be close games, Wirral having won at Penrith in the autumn with two late penalties.
This Saturday both sides scored 5 tries and it was only the goal kicking from Wirral’s Rhys James which proved to be the difference between the teams.
During the week work had been done on the pitch and along with the lack of heavy rain during the week the ground was in good condition for open and determined rugby from both teams.
There were changes to the team that had played against Manchester last week. In the forwards, ADAM DON came in at hooker with the props being JOHN RALPH and JOE ADNAMS. HARRY HAWLEY joined HAYDEN LONG in the second row. In the backs we were without centres BEN BROOKS and JIMMY ANNETTS (injured) so RHYS JAMES and ALFIE KIMPTON played with DAN HARVEY at full back.
The substitutes were DAN CARROL, CONNOR MOORE and MARK GIDMAN.
Wirral played towards the main road in the first half and from the kick off they almost scored their first try from a quickly taken penalty but tackles close to the line halted play. After 4 minutes, play from MARK WILLIAMS set up for DAN HARVEY to collect and coast through the gap to score under the posts, this was converted by RHYS JAMES 7-0. Penrith then attacked and good tackling from Wirral could not prevent Penrith scoring in the corner, the conversion was missed, 7-5 (9minutes). After 12 minutes, Penrith took the lead with another try 10m from the corner flag, the conversion was missed 7-10 (12 minutes). Following that try the ball was collected by Wirral and ALFIE KIMPTON made a long break back into the Penrith 20m area, from this position the ball was spun left with play stopped close to the line, out to HAYDEN LONG who slipped the ball to DAN HARVEY who crossed in the corner and RHYS JAMES converted from the touchline to leave Wirral, 14-10 ahead.
As you can see this was a game with plenty of incidents and on 18minutes, Wirral increased their lead to 17-10 with a penalty from RHYS JAMES from the 20m area. On 21 minutes, Wirral were back down in the Penrith area and after pressure on the line by Wirral, the ball was passed out to MARK WILLIAMS who crashed over from 5m out and a further conversion by RHYS JAMES increased the Wirral lead to 24-10.
This did not deter Penrith who came back and had the benefit of a 5m line out but fortunately Wirral were able to stop the pressure and cleared downfield. There was not another score until the 34th minute, when from a penalty quickly taken by the Penrith scrum half who then raced through the Wirral defence and ran in from 40m to score 20m from the posts, the conversion was missed, 24-15. In the period just before half-time a long kick downfield by RHYS JAMES bounced into touch giving Wirral the throw in ball. The quick line out by Wirral was interrupted by an offside hand from Penrith, from this position Wirral took a quick penalty and led to HAYDEN LONG motoring towards
the line before passing to DAN HARVEY, who scored his hat trick try in the corner. The referee’s official indicated that the penalty should have been taken some 15m in from the touchline. However the try was awarded, the conversion was missed to give Wirral a 29-15 lead but the try scoring bonus point.
At the beginning of the second half, Wirral were awarded a penalty some 35m out, which was quickly taken by TOM AKEHURST, who burst through the defence and outpaced the cover to score close to the posts, again converted by RHYS JAMES to extend the lead to 36-15, 42 minutes. At this stage Wirral made a couple of changes with CONNOR MOORE and DAN CARROL coming on for HARRY CROPPER-JOYCE and JOHN RALPH respectively. Wirral gave away to penalties and a further indiscretion led to ADAM DON being sin binned. At the next scrum, JOHN RALPH came back in to the scrum with ROB PEARL coming off the field. In the time of the yellow card, Penrith scored two tries both of which were converted from close to the posts to reduce the Wirral lead to 36-29, having scored their try bonus point in the process.
No sooner had the yellow card for Wirral expired, it then led to Wirral captain, NICK HEARN being sin-binned when discussing matters with the referee. On 64 minutes, Wirral extended their lead to 39-29 with another RHYS JAMES penalty (6/7). Wirral had another penalty opportunity which they declined to take, if taken it would have meant that Penrith would have to score twice. The incident leading to the penalty led to the Penrith second row being sin binned after there had been a couple of flare ups on the field. From a line out taken by
Wirral at the front of the line and back to the thrower who scored in the corner, had the try disallowed for the line out not going 5m initially. Penrith took play down to the Wirral 20m area and being awarded a penalty took the kick for goal to give themselves a losing bonus point along with a point for 5 tries. This was the final score 39-32 with 5 points to Wirral and 2 points to Penrith.
With the scores coming in Manchester were surprisingly well beaten at Newport (Salop) to lift Wirral back up to third on the same points as Anselmians, who have a better point’s difference.
Next week we have another home game, against league leaders Rossendale who had a big win at home today against Leek.
Richard McNeil
During the week work had been done on the pitch and along with the lack of heavy rain during the week the ground was in good condition for open and determined rugby from both teams.
There were changes to the team that had played against Manchester last week. In the forwards, ADAM DON came in at hooker with the props being JOHN RALPH and JOE ADNAMS. HARRY HAWLEY joined HAYDEN LONG in the second row. In the backs we were without centres BEN BROOKS and JIMMY ANNETTS (injured) so RHYS JAMES and ALFIE KIMPTON played with DAN HARVEY at full back.
The substitutes were DAN CARROL, CONNOR MOORE and MARK GIDMAN.
Wirral played towards the main road in the first half and from the kick off they almost scored their first try from a quickly taken penalty but tackles close to the line halted play. After 4 minutes, play from MARK WILLIAMS set up for DAN HARVEY to collect and coast through the gap to score under the posts, this was converted by RHYS JAMES 7-0. Penrith then attacked and good tackling from Wirral could not prevent Penrith scoring in the corner, the conversion was missed, 7-5 (9minutes). After 12 minutes, Penrith took the lead with another try 10m from the corner flag, the conversion was missed 7-10 (12 minutes). Following that try the ball was collected by Wirral and ALFIE KIMPTON made a long break back into the Penrith 20m area, from this position the ball was spun left with play stopped close to the line, out to HAYDEN LONG who slipped the ball to DAN HARVEY who crossed in the corner and RHYS JAMES converted from the touchline to leave Wirral, 14-10 ahead.
As you can see this was a game with plenty of incidents and on 18minutes, Wirral increased their lead to 17-10 with a penalty from RHYS JAMES from the 20m area. On 21 minutes, Wirral were back down in the Penrith area and after pressure on the line by Wirral, the ball was passed out to MARK WILLIAMS who crashed over from 5m out and a further conversion by RHYS JAMES increased the Wirral lead to 24-10.
This did not deter Penrith who came back and had the benefit of a 5m line out but fortunately Wirral were able to stop the pressure and cleared downfield. There was not another score until the 34th minute, when from a penalty quickly taken by the Penrith scrum half who then raced through the Wirral defence and ran in from 40m to score 20m from the posts, the conversion was missed, 24-15. In the period just before half-time a long kick downfield by RHYS JAMES bounced into touch giving Wirral the throw in ball. The quick line out by Wirral was interrupted by an offside hand from Penrith, from this position Wirral took a quick penalty and led to HAYDEN LONG motoring towards
the line before passing to DAN HARVEY, who scored his hat trick try in the corner. The referee’s official indicated that the penalty should have been taken some 15m in from the touchline. However the try was awarded, the conversion was missed to give Wirral a 29-15 lead but the try scoring bonus point.
At the beginning of the second half, Wirral were awarded a penalty some 35m out, which was quickly taken by TOM AKEHURST, who burst through the defence and outpaced the cover to score close to the posts, again converted by RHYS JAMES to extend the lead to 36-15, 42 minutes. At this stage Wirral made a couple of changes with CONNOR MOORE and DAN CARROL coming on for HARRY CROPPER-JOYCE and JOHN RALPH respectively. Wirral gave away to penalties and a further indiscretion led to ADAM DON being sin binned. At the next scrum, JOHN RALPH came back in to the scrum with ROB PEARL coming off the field. In the time of the yellow card, Penrith scored two tries both of which were converted from close to the posts to reduce the Wirral lead to 36-29, having scored their try bonus point in the process.
No sooner had the yellow card for Wirral expired, it then led to Wirral captain, NICK HEARN being sin-binned when discussing matters with the referee. On 64 minutes, Wirral extended their lead to 39-29 with another RHYS JAMES penalty (6/7). Wirral had another penalty opportunity which they declined to take, if taken it would have meant that Penrith would have to score twice. The incident leading to the penalty led to the Penrith second row being sin binned after there had been a couple of flare ups on the field. From a line out taken by
Wirral at the front of the line and back to the thrower who scored in the corner, had the try disallowed for the line out not going 5m initially. Penrith took play down to the Wirral 20m area and being awarded a penalty took the kick for goal to give themselves a losing bonus point along with a point for 5 tries. This was the final score 39-32 with 5 points to Wirral and 2 points to Penrith.
With the scores coming in Manchester were surprisingly well beaten at Newport (Salop) to lift Wirral back up to third on the same points as Anselmians, who have a better point’s difference.
Next week we have another home game, against league leaders Rossendale who had a big win at home today against Leek.
Richard McNeil
Further reading