Development Squad v Carlisle Crusaders (2nd XV)

The wintery weather saw a depleted Kendal outfit travel up to Carlisle to see if they could take their unbeaten streak going, and thankfully the weather was a touch nicer than it was on Shap, for their travelling support, and not least the players.
Taking control from the start for the second week running, the youthful Kendal pack started exerting pressure on their slightly more experienced counterparts, and the high tempo game saw Chaplow score, with Johnson converting the extras.
The black & ambers restarted again, and the whole of the first half saw the Kendal pack dominate their counterparts, with the backline always looking dangerous. Exceptional defence from Garnett, Wilson, Gage, in midfield, but the back three of Knowles, Cottam and Pashley showing their usual love of the graft. They put in bone shuddering hits on any Carlisle attacker. With Johnson dictating his forwards from scrum half, and the odd trademark break keeping the defenders honest. Sean Garnett played the territory in a very mature display from fly half. The Kendal outfit never seemed under any pressure, but always looked threatening.
Multiple phases involving the backs and forwards saw Kendal work their way into the home 22, and some great handling saw skipper Rob Wightman show his now legendary turn of foot to score! Again Johnson slotted from the most improbable of angles to make it a 14 - 0 lead.
At this point Kendal's patterns of play were in overdrive, and some Carlisle indiscipline saw Garnett pop the ball into the corner for an attacking line out. For the first time this season throwing to the back of the line out worked ( The coaching staff still mumbling about this ploy!) The driven maul trundled, albeit dynamically towards the line. When flying from the back of thee line out for the second time in as many weeks, it was Reid to knock over several defenders and muscle his way to the line! 19 - 0.
With 5 minutes to go until half time, Lashley, after some of his usual all action play, was unfortunite to get yellow carded for multiple team offences in clearing their line. As he was suffing for the team's misdemeanours, the team cranked up their own defensive effort for him, and as ever led by the machine like Nicholson, and kamikaze Pashley, they managed to shove the home side from 5m out to 30m out with top notch defending.
The second half started with Carlisle trying to come back into the game, but again Kendal held firm. A barnstorming run from Reid, ended in injury for him, much to the annoyance of Perie, who came into the fray for the second week running, to bolster the average age, weight, and to battle his old foe of exercise!
The second half followed the pattern of Kendal breaks, foloowed by baffling penalties against them, and Carlisle being repelled by some wholehearted but organised defence, which is now becoming the norm for them. A fantastic break from the hard working dynamic Rob Collinson got Kendal on to the front foot, and the forwards started to grind the yards up, with drives from the outstanding pair of Evans and Blenkharn creeping the ball up to the home line, and this resulted with Chaplow using his pace from the base of the ruck to score yet another try.
Carlisle came back again, and were probably value for their score with 5 minutes to go, for sticking in whilst being constantly shoved on to the back foot, for the game to finish 24 5 to the development xv. Nearing the end there was a chance for Archer on the overlap, but the ball didn't go to hand.
This is another determined victory for the Kendal outfit, who are starting to combine a solid team defence, and the sight of a improving scrummage, to a massive team spirit and work ethic. With the sight of all players back slapping when out scrummaging, clamping and keeping opponents at bay, it is a now increasing occurrence!
A week off next week will be followed by a visit by the free running Cockermouth team at Mint Bridge, to play against this ever improving outfit!

Arthur Perie

Kendal Development XV

1 Jack Lashley
2 Robbie Collinson
3 Dan Reid
4 Rob Wightman capt
5 Chris Evans
6 Darren Blenkharn
7 Liam Nicholson
8 Josh Chaplow
9 Jordan Johnson
10 Sean Garnett
11 Toby Knowles
12 Alex Wilson
13 Anthony Gage
14 Mark Cottam
15 Adam Pashley
16 Arthur Perie

coach Steve Wrigglesworth, Arthur Perie