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Well this was an emphatic
victory for Wigan but I was disappointed that we failed to kick on
and win the second half.
First half we came out all guns blazing
as we fired Huddersfield to submission.
Wigan totally dominated the first half. They got off to a great
start with a 5th minute try from Chris Ashton. Ashton broke away
down the right and out paced the cover defence for the score.
Danny Tickle converted, 6-0 Wigan.
The second try on 9 minutes was created by a superb break from
Dennis Moran. He himself the field position to eventually kicked
towards the leftcorner for Kevin Brown to ground the ball over the
line. Tickle again converted to make it 12-0.
Two minutes later it was 18-0. Mark Calderwood brake away from
the kick off eventually drew a penalty as the Giants defence
struggle to get back. Wigan took advantage of the field position
and poor defence to send Harrison Hansen over. Tickle's conversion
made it 18-0 after 13 minutes. Surely we wouldn't blow this one?
It just got better. In the 18th minute Iafeta Palea'asina
scored to make it 22-0. He burst over from close range, batting
away two would be tacklers. Superb play from Feka. He continued
his impressive start to the year. Tickle kept up his 100% kicking
record to make it 24-0. Wigan on fire, 33rd minute it was 30-0.
A flowing move was finished off by Brett Dallas in the corner.
Tickle beautifully converted his most difficult kick of the night.
Wigan had a further chance to increase their lead but Mark Calderwood knocked on a begging try. Should have score it!
30-0 in 35 minutes? That's great form but personally I had that
nagging doubt. I've seen so many matches thrown away in the last
year that in was playing on my mind and clearly it was on the
players minds as well. Doubt set in as Huddersfield scored right
on half time. Chris Nero the try scorer. Conversion was missed by
Chris Thorman so the half time score was 30-4 to Wigan. Despite
the last gasp Giants try I expected Wigan to continue on in the
second half and show that they can play for the full 80 minutes!
But it didn't happen. The Giants came up with the first try of
the second half as centre James Evans scored. Michael De Vere
converted to make it 30-10.
The doubt really did set in at this point. If Huddersfield have
scored the next try it could have been another disaster.
Wigan began to show nerves, knocking on, on three consecutive sets but they managed to keep tight in defence. The game was really sealed with the sin binning
of Paul March for Holding Down in the 63rd Minute. Wigan scored
four minutes later with Wayne Godwin going over under the sticks
and another Tickle conversion gave me hope that we could win the
second half. But Huddersfield finished strongest with tries from
Albert Torrens and De Vere which perhaps flattered them in the
final 36-20 score line. The second of those tries, gifted to them
by stupid play under our posts by Wigan. A far too cocky pass was
thrown by someone and it was just not needed. So Wigan win but
second half defeat still leaves me disappointed. Another big test
awaits next week at Salford. |
