Cumbria made a superb start to their 2019 Three Counties Championship campaign at Open Age level when they beat reigning champions Lancashire 22-18 last Saturday.

On home soil at Leigh Miners Rangers, Lancashire made a great start by opening-up a 10-0 lead inside the first 13 minutes.

But Cumbria, with the bus journey finally out of their legs, responded well and had drawn level by half-time.

Coach Gary Hewer has just taken on the Egremont Rangers job so he would have been pleased to see that the tries which helped put Cumbria level came from two of the players he will be coaching next season.

Centre Leon Crellin and substitute Matty Henson both got over the home line with Connor Saunders of Ulverston converting one of them.

Centre Andy Nisbet (Pilkingtons) and winger Ryan Heaton (Thatto Heath) had scored the early tries for Lancashire with Jack Jones (Thatto Heath) adding a conversion.

Five minutes into the second-half, Cumbria were forced onto the back foot again when substitute Ryan Liptrot (Pilkingtons) scored a third try for Lancashire.

But the Cumbrians responded superbly and shook their hosts by scoring two tries from Millom winger Lee Postlethwaite and his clubmate, hooker Noah Robinson, with Saunders adding a conversion.

Lancashire exerted a lot of late pressure, but some great Cumbrian defence, particularly from Barrow Island full back Jake Stockdale restricted them to just one unconverted try from Wigan St. Jude’s centre Connor Parkinson to hold on for a famous victory.

If they beat Yorkshire at Millom on Saturday, then Cumbria will be crowned champions.

The under-19s, however, opened their campaign with a 56-12 defeat. They had been very much in contention up to half-time when they trailed 22-12 but after 14 minutes had actually led 8-6.

Walney winger Elliott Bibby and Millom second row Charlie Emslie had scored tries for Cumbria and substitute Brad Richards (Dalton) scored a third to leave them only four points behind with the interval only minutes away.

Leigh Miners full-back Adam Livesey raced through for a try which was converted and Cumbria were never as competitive in the second-half. Livesey went on to complete a hat-trick and Lancashire scored four tries in the closing stages to really rub it in.

The under-17s were beaten 34-16 by Lancashire in the opening game of the day, despite scoring tries through Ulverston's Jonah Kelly, Millom's Rio McQuistan and Egremont's Alex Marsden.