Penrith Rugby Club simply had to pick up a bonus-point win in their battle to stay in North One West.

Faced with their easiest fixture (on paper), they duly achieved their target with a 42-3 home win over doomed Anselmians.

On a wet, cold, miserable afternoon, it wasn’t pretty and it certainly wasn’t pleasing on the eye. But it was a job well done.

They scored six tries and, for the first time this season, they didn’t allow the opposition to cross their line, and coach David Preston will be looking for one or two more ground-out wins like this between now and the end of the season.

Penrith’s victory could be put down to the dominance of their pack as they were far too powerful for their opposite numbers in the set scrums. Mike Raine and Dan Richardson were supreme in the line-outs, securing their own ball with ease and winning a good share of the opposition’s ball.

The deadlock was broken when Penrith attacked from a five-metre line-out and Adam Howe used his size and strength to spin out off a tackle just short of the line and crash over.

Penrith didn’t have things all their own way as there was a little surprise when the visitors opted to kick for goal from the halfway line and it sailed over with the assistance of the following breeze.

The visitors then had a try disallowed as an obvious off-the-ball obstruction made the gap for the would-be try-scorer. They also had a second kick at goal that went wide.

It was just before half-time when Penrith eventually added to their lead when they had a five-metre scrum head on to the posts and set themselves to go for the pushover try.

They won the ball and it was safely nestling at the feet of number eight Raine as they inched forward.

The posts rather impeded their progress but they gradually got to within striking distance when a defender hacked the ball out of the scrum. The referee had no hesitation in awarding a penalty try to double the home side’s lead.

On the stroke of half-time, Anselmians had a scrum deep inside their own 22, from which, the home eight were able to drive them back and win the turnover as the visiting number eight tried to tidy up poor possession.

After several drives for the line, Richardson found the narrowest of gaps and forced his way over and, at the break, Penrith had a handy 21-3 lead.

They had the elements in their favour and were looking for the fourth try and the bonus point but it was a long time in coming.

For half-an-hour, the home side lost its way. They were lacklustre and making numerous mistakes that was gifting possession to the visitors and they could hardly string three phases together.

The conditions were poor, several of the backs looked as if they were frozen to the wick; it was windy and hands would be cold but the game needed finishing off. They managed to get up a head of steam in the final 10 minutes and put the game to bed. It was captain Ed Swale who was the catalyst as he ran back a clearance kick, beat several tacklers and took the ball deep into the 22.

Anselmians were penalised and George Graham took the tap immediately to catch them on the hop as they backpedalled and almost got to the line. The forwards piled in and Richardson again was the one to find the gap to muscle his way over.

Raine broke from a scrum just outside the visitor’s 22 to set-up the next try. He sent Graham away and he made the break to look as if he would score, but the last defender had a piece of his shirt and it was Jon Fell who was on hand to run in the.

The final try came as the visitors tried to run the ball out of their own 22.

A long looped pass was thrown out that had interception written all over it. Full-back Swale duly obliged, stepped inside the cover and sprinted in to dive under the posts.