Jai Field scored twice as Wigan Warriors proved too much for Leigh Leopards as they defeated their rivals 34-6 inside Leigh Sports Village in the Betfred Super League on Thursday. The game was witnessed by a record 9,189 crowd, and what a game it was.
It was a fast start in the Battle of the Borough as the hosts started brightly and scored the opening try of the game after seven minutes. Tom Briscoe capped off a well-worked move from left to right as he scored his 200th career try to put the Leopards in front.
As well as conceding, Wigan were given another blow as Jake Wardle was sent to the sin bin for a late challenge on Gareth O’Brien, who was taken off for a head injury assessment which he later failed. Ben Reynolds was able to convert from the right side to give the Leopards a 6-0 lead in the early stages.
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The visitors then started to find their rhythm and it didn’t take them long to get over the try line themselves. Bevan French scored his seventh try of the campaign as he showcased excellent footwork and flair to get a clean run to score. The Warriors continued to build their momentum and it appeared to be only a matter of time before they scored again.
And they did just that less than 10 minutes later as star player Field managed to get the ball down cleanly despite being put under pressure by a couple of Leigh players. Harry Smith was then able to convert the try to put Wigan in front in the derby 10-6. Both teams provided an entertaining contest and they both looked dangerous in the final stages of the first half, but it was Wigan who headed into the break with the lead.
Matt Peet’s men started the second half as strongly as they ended the first as they added a third try within five minutes of the restart. French was given a lot of freedom to charge with the ball and a grubber kick from him was gathered by Wardle to get over the line with ease to extend their lead to eight points.
The Warriors displayed some excellent and hard-fought defensive work at times to keep Leigh out and spark a comeback. They then were able to take the sting out of the game by taking the match away from their bitter rivals when Abbas Minski extended their lead to 12 with a diving try on the left. Moments later the game was wrapped up. Field burst his way through a few challenges to score his second of the match. Smith was able to convert after having missed a couple in the match to extend their advantage to 18 points.
Field was then given an injury scare later in the game as he was seen clutching the back of his leg as he chased the ball down - something that will be of great concern to everyone associated with Wigan if it is more than just a knock, given the Good Friday clash next week. But even without one of their key players Wigan added another two tries to their haul against their bitter rivals as Toby King got across the line before Miski scored his second of the match just moments later to cap off a memorable victory for the away side.
