Last updated 19:42, Thursday, 26 June 2008

THE Cumbrian boys were champing at the bit in the sheds prior to kick-off against a physically much larger Jets side on Wednesday in the first game of their Australia tour.

Unfortunately, Cumbria started on the back foot due to some refereeing interpretations differing to those in the UK. And they were strictly enforced by the referee.

The Jets gained good early field position and scored from a fortuitous bounce from a kick on the last tackle on seven minutes which was converted.

Forced onto the back foot in the early exchanges and making too many errors, Cumbria defended well and had a try of their own disallowed when Glasson half-back John Fidler’s offload to Broughton’s Ryan Moore was judged to be forward.

From the resulting set the Jets scored, again converted.

Disaster struck a minute later when the Jets went the length of the pitch on the back of two penalties and scored without the tourists having touched the ball. They converted to make the score 18-0.

However the tourists showed real enthusiasm as Fidler broke the line to put Millom’s Elliot Miller in the corner for a fine try, only to be pulled back by the ref for a forward pass. Half-time came with Cumbria on top though 18-0 down.

Following the break, the Jets started brightly and scored in their second attacking set on 42 minutes, again converting to take the lead out to 24-0.

This seemed to stir Cumbria and they stepped up the defence to a ferocious level, repeatedly knocking Jets flat.

Cumbria finally got their first score on the board on 59 minutes when centre Miller chipped though on the fourth tackle to collect his own kick in the corner and score. The conversion attempt came back off the post.

Sensing blood, the tourists pressed forward and substitute Dan Rooney burst through on a flat ball to crash over for their second try on 64 minutes,

Now dominant, Cumbria pushed forward and Miller was on the end of a fine flowing move to score out wide on 69 minutes.

Some 12 points behind and with the bit between their teeth, a Fidler half-break and offload sent second-row Tom Sibley through a gap, and with an outrageous sidestep he beat the full-back to score between the posts. The conversion made the score 24-18 on 73 minutes.

The Cockermouth connection then took a hand and Ryan Burns threw a long pass to Jonny Goulding who scored.

But it was again out wide, and with another failed conversion the score was 24-22 in favour of the Jets.

With only 26 seconds left it was too late to score again.

The Cumbria squad left for Australia last Friday and, according to joint coach Martin Oglanby, of Maryport ARL, they settled in quickly.

The former Workington Town captain said: “The squad are gelling quickly due to the nature of our accommodation, bunkered up in our dorms and everyone mucking in.

“It has set up a real camaraderie between lads from all over the county and the squad are really sticking together.

“Jet lag seems to have worked its way out of our legs and we’ve had three sessions of real quality, including one training next to the Panthers first-team.

“The lads are looking really sharp.”

The county squad, guests of NRL outfit Penrith Panthers, will play four matches on the tour.