Saints starlet, Kyle Eastmond, snatched the cheese from under the noses of the Warriors. Driving, bouncing, spinning and finally sliding in the mud to touchdown the killer, gut-wrenching try. This after the Warriors just plain out-enthused and out-defended the home side for 77 minutes.
Saints, depleted without several senior players, were a shadow of their usual selves on offence, with Wigan’s steely defence forcing errors and confusion in their ranks.
He’s very quick, very elusive …
Rain left the anticipated halfback shoot-out between Eastmond and Wigan’s Sam Tomkins on hold for the moment as the game became a real old fashioned derby. So old it should have been played in back and white.
In the end, despite Eastmond’s line breaks and near misses, Tomkins probably just shaded the ‘Battle’. I suppose it depends what you want from a half back but he just looks a more rounded player at the moment.
Still there’s time for Eastmond to grow as coach, Mick Potter, admitted::
“He’s very quick, very elusive … he’s got other things he needs to work on, but taking on the line is not one of them. He’s got some promise, hasn’t he?”
Still Saints edged into an early lead despite the visitors harrying defence. Matt Gidley riding a large slice of luck to pluck Paul Wellens deflected grubber out of the air and plunge over at right centre.
However, Wigan refused to panic and like an experienced heavyweight fighter their defence absorbed the increasingly ineffectual blows of their foes before launching quick strikes of their own, gradually wearing the opposition down blow by blow.
Having soaked up Saints best efforts Wigan twice threatened to break down the left as the half came to an end.
And when Sam Tomkins speculative grubber bounced Francis Meli’s way … well it was game-on.
Bouncing rugby balls must give Meli nightmares. Tomkins followed-up his kick to pounce for the try as the spilled ball sat sadly in Saints’ in-goal area. Pat Richards conversion snatched a 6-4 half time.
Although Saints started the second stanza with significantly more zip, they still struggled to break the Wigan line and only their own stout defence kept them in the game.
An impressive debut by Jake Emmitt almost saw him was grab glory as he was brought down inches short. Moments later Eastmond scooped-up a low pass only to halted on the line himself.
But that was the last we saw of the Saints on attack for a while as Wigan hit the straps.
Sam Tomkins sparked life into their dormant attacking game and suddenly the Saints were rocking and lolling on the ropes.
When Martin Gleeson’s offload slipped Harrison Hansen free it looked like curtains for the home side, but a tremendous tackle from the head-bandaged Paul Clough denied him and ultimately turned the game.
The tide began to turn Saints way when Phelps mishandled a bomb on his own 15m line. Eastmond was again being thwarted inches short, and Lee Gilmour just failed to reel-in a slick off load from Leon Pryce with the line open.
Saints continued to throw what they had at the Warriors as time ran down, but it was stodgy stuff until Eastmond’s incisive break saw him slide in for killer try.
“I always thought we needed one more score,”
admitted Wigan coach Brian Noble.
“It was a bit of a kick in the guts at the end, but our effort and defence were great – as were Saints“.
TEAMS:
Saints:
1 Wellens, 2 Gardner, 3 Gidley, 11 Gilmour, 5 Meli, 6 Pryce, 18 Eastmond, 10 Graham, 9 Cunningham. 16 Puletua, 12 Wilkin, 13 Flannery, 24 Dixon
Subs: 17 Clough, 28 Ashurst, 29 Armstrong, 31 Emmitt
Tries: Gidley (10), Eastmond (77)
Goals: Eastmond 1/2
Wigan Warriors:
21 Phelps, 2 Roberts, 22 Gleeson, 4 Carmont, 5 Richards, 25 S Tomkins, 7 Leuluai, 15 Coley, 9 Riddell, 19 Prescott, 16 Hansen, 14 J Tomkins, 26 Flanagan
Subs: 8 Fielden, 10 Paleaaesina, 3 Goudlng, 24 Mossop
Tries: S Tomkins (39)
Goals: Richards 1/1
MATCH FACTS
10 Matt Gidley try 4-0 Kyle Eastmond missed goal 0/1
39 Sam Tomkins try 4-4 Pat Richards goal 1/1 4-6
HALF TIME
76 Kyle Eastmond try 8-6 Kyle Eastmond goal 1/2 10-6
FULL TIME
Penalty count: 6-4
GLDO Forced: 1-3
Half-time: 4-6
Full-time: 10-6
Referee: Ben Thaler
Attendance: 15563
Ian Bridge
A professional writer and a member of the Chartered Institute of Journalists, Ian's communications services are for hire. See the Services page for how Ian can help you better communicate.
Act soon, after all ... "You cannot not communicate.