As Carlisle Rugby Club approach the halfway point of their North One West season, chairman David Stout has been reflecting on a job well done by the leaders.

Stout moved from head coach to club chairman at the end of last season after two years, in which, he led the Warwick Road side to promotion and then survival at the higher level. 

"It was always my intention to move on, changing roles, and it made it a lot easier when Matt Shields was available to take on the head coaching role," said Stout.

"He and Max Connon have forged an excellent partnership and to be top of the league, 10 points clear, two games shy of the halfway mark, is a good place to be.

"The experienced players who came in have made a difference - Matt in the forwards and both Grant Connon and Chris Auld in the backs.

"Grant has taken over with the kicking tee and been very effective.

"The fact that we lost so many games last season by three points shows just what a difference a kicker can make."

Injuries and work commitments affect lots of rugby clubs, and Carlisle are no exception. 

In 12 games so far, Shields has not had the luxury of naming an unchanged line-up - although he will probably only have to make one alteration for the visit of Firwood Waterloo today.

"What it has meant is that we have blooded more younger players than we probably expected - lads who were playing Colts rugby last season. That has been a valuable experience for them," the chairman added.

"I do believe that, if we could put out our strongest 15, we would be more than a match for all the teams in our league.

"Overall we do have a young team, which is also promising for the future, but everybody knows we still have work to do if we are to finish top and earn automatic promotion. 

"We have ambition as a club to move forward, even with the step up in quality that will bring. 

"Promotion would be a challenge but I’m sure this group of players would want to test themselves at the next level."

Carlisle have only lost two games so far out of 12 - both away from home at Douglas and Northwich - scoring 395 points and conceding 228.

They have 10 bonus points, more than any other side in the league. 

But being top for so long makes them there to be shot at - the team that opposition want to beat.

That’s going to be particularly noticeable next weekend when Carlisle make their shortest trip of the season to Penrith, a tasty way to end the league programme ahead of the Christmas break. 

Stout admitted: "Yes, that will be a big one for both teams.

"We won fairly easily at our place early in the season and, although they won the Cumbria Cup semi-final, both clubs would agree that neither put out their strongest side. 

"We would like to go into the break still with a healthy lead at the top, and take it from there in the New Year."

Elsewhere, former Carlisle player Brett Connon played his part in Newcastle Falcons’ dramatic 16-14 victory over Northampton Saints on Saturday.

Connon, brother of Carlisle players Max and Grant, hammered over a long-range penalty in his first act since coming on as Falcons came from behind to win in dramatic style.

Fellow Cumbrian Mark Wilson, who began his junior rugby career at Penrith, then scored against the base of the post before Toby Flood added the decisive conversion.

Chris Harris and Gary Graham, two other ex-Carlisle players, also featured for Falcons.