Despite moments of brilliance, Rossendale couldn’t hold their nerve in a match they should’ve had wrapped up.

First Half: Flying Start but an Unfortunate Finish

Rossendale burst out of the blocks with their trademark attacking flair. After just 10 minutes, a pinpoint line-out on the left sparked quick hands through midfield, finding Solomona in space. He spotted a gap and darted over in the right-hand corner. Lewis Allen added the extras to give Rossendale an early 0-7 lead.

Penrith piled on the pressure for the next 15 minutes, camping in Rossendale’s 22 but failing to capitalise. Then came a hammer blow. Alex Ropeti read a Penrith pass perfectly on Rossendale’s 22, intercepted it, and galloped the length of the pitch to score in the corner. Allen’s conversion attempt sailed wide, but Rossendale had doubled their lead at 0-12.

Rossendale’s defence stood firm again at the scrum, and they struck another blow on the counter. Allen fed Zac Stephens, who powered through the gain line before popping the ball back to Allen. The fly-half raced in from halfway to score under the posts and added the conversion himself, stretching the lead to 0-19.

The bonus-point try came not long after. A slick backline move saw the ball switched quickly out to Zac Stephens, who launched a 20-yard pass to Zane Ainsley on the wing. Just short of the line, Ainsley managed to offload inside to Terence Babarinsa, who barrelled over to score. Allen’s conversion made it 0-26, and Rossendale looked unstoppable.

But Penrith weren’t about to roll over. They hit back with three quick tries before the break, capitalising on Rossendale errors and some questionable refereeing. Sam Graham scored the first for Penrith, followed by a contentious try under the posts where a forward pass went unnoticed. Another break through the middle, aided by missed Rossendale tackles, brought Penrith right back into the contest. All three tries were converted, leaving the halftime score at 21-26 to the visitors.

For the final 20 minutes of the half, Penrith dominated, and Rossendale looked rattled. They needed a big response in the second half.

Second Half: A Rollercoaster Battle

The second half began with Penrith continuing where they left off. After relentless pressure, they edged in front with a try out wide. The impressive touchline conversion made it 28-26 to the home team, a dramatic turnaround.

Rossendale finally responded through Callum Whelan, who found himself out on the wing after some good work in midfield. Handing off a defender, he dived into the corner to reclaim the lead. Unfortunately, Allen’s conversion attempt hit the post, leaving the score at 28-31 to Rossendale

Moments later, Rossendale extended their lead with a stunning team try. Starting inside their own half, Ainsley broke free and offloaded to Whelan, who charged towards the line before passing back to Ainsley. The winger finished the move in style, with Allen converting to make it 28-38.

Just as it seemed Rossendale were pulling away, Penrith struck back with an interception try. Thankfully for Rossendale, the conversion was missed, leaving the score at 33-38 with the clock ticking on.

Late Drama and Controversy

With the final play of the game, Penrith worked the ball out wide and scored in the corner. The conversion attempt was missed, but the scoreboard controversially read Penrith 39, Rossendale 38. Confusion reigned, but the scoreboard was wrong and the match ended in a 38-38 draw.

Regardless of the final tally, Rossendale will be kicking themselves for letting a commanding lead slip. They had the game in their grasp but lacked the composure to see it out.

Summary

This was a tale of two halves for Rossendale. Their attack was electric at times, with standout performances from Solomona, Ropeti, Whelan, and Allen. But defensive lapses and a lack of discipline allowed Penrith back into the game.

It may go down as a draw on paper, but for Rossendale, it’ll feel like a defeat. They’ll need to tighten up if they want to avoid similar frustrations in the weeks to come.

Sophie Macintosh