Hull KR 28 – 36 Wigan Warriors
This game began as bit of a nightmare for Wigan, they were already missing Hock on suspension and probably a ban for cocaine use and Gleeson who was injured in training the day before when to add to their woes Amos Roberts dropped a high ball from a kick to gift Hull KR with a try on just 3 minutes. Things didn’t improve just a couple of minutes later when Tim Smith injured his shoulder and before anything could be done about it he was the only player left in a wide open defence who could stop another gifted try to Hull KR, he failed and it became 10 – 0 to Hull KR in around 5 minutes, Smith went off with the injury not to return.
The first ten minutes were very poor for Wigan but then O’Loughlin put a nice little kick through and Bailey went over for Wigan’s first try, making it 10 – 4 and changing the flow of the game at this point. After that most of the first half was Wigan’s, another Warrior’s try came from a Sam Tomkins break feeding Carmont who got the try, then a third Wigan try came from Pat Richards making it 10 – 14 and Wigan went ahead for a while.
Just prior to half time Vella got another Hull KR try making the half time score 16 – 14 to Hull KR.
The second half started with a Wigan try in the third minute of the second half scored by Bailey, the defence from Hull KR was poor, 16 – 18 to Wigan. On 48 minutes Sam Tomkins kicked a fantastic 40/20, he kicked it from his 30m line and it went over a couple of metres past the 40m line, this set up a move which ended with a Harrison Hansen which was fairly easy, there was a possible forward pass in the move but I’m not so sure. Shortly after O’Loughlin made a nice break and fed Sam Tomkins who scored another Wigan try, it was now 16 – 30 to the Warriors and they looked in control.
Hull KR had other idea’s though and with a try on 65 minutes and another with just 8 minutes to go they got it back to 28 – 30 to Wigan. It could now have gone either way but just before full time Wigan broke the length of the field, Richards to Amos Robert’s who made a long run passing the ball back to Pat Richards who scored the last try of the game making the final score 28 – 36 to the Warriors.
This was a real good game of rugby, it started poorly for Wigan but then they took control, Hull KR made a comeback only for Wigan to make certain in the last minutes. Players worthy of mention for Wigan were O’Loughlin, McIlorum and Sam Tomkins who was superb throughout.
