Match Report

Wigan Warriors 23 Leeds Rhinos 22

Friday 4th July 2008, JJB Stadium, Wigan.

All six Rhinos internationals were fit, and ready for this one. But the nerves must have got to them crossing the Pennines and as they entered Lancashire. 

The Warriors started off well, too well, too quick:

Within the first minute, Wigan ran the kick off into the Leeds twenty metre line, and after a grubber kick was collected by their new Australian signing Cameron Phelps, you could just sense there was going to be a try. He grounded the ball, and the Leeds fans were shocked. Pat Richards added the extras to make the score 6-0, after one minute of play.

They just caught the Rhinos asleep..surely?

It was evident that the lads weren’t in for an easy day at the office - Wigan set out the stall: their defence was solid, and their attack was fast moving and different to what we are used to seeing from Wigan.

All we could do with was a scrum or a penalty, but that’s what we got - on our own thirty. JJB fumbled to ball and after the resulting scrum, it didn’t take long before Phelps got his second of the night, in the left hand corner, right in front of the Leeds end. Richards failed to convert, but he managed to earn back those two points when Hock clearly dropped the ball. But unfortunaltly, Klein didn’t see it that way, and ruled the the Rhinos interfered with the play the ball. 12-0 after just fourteen minutes. 

Almost a point a minute scored against the Champions. 

A neat chip over from Richards was grounded by Colbon, who managed to crawl over the line to score. Richards failed to find the boot again, but Wigan weren’t bother, they were 16-0 up, winning yet again against the Rhinos.

With only three minutes left in the half, Diskin crossed the line, but then lost the ball whilst trying to ground it.

Then this; the crucial point in the game. At the time, it seemed a joke, but the drop goal in the dying minutes by Richards won them the match. The 17-0 lead to the Warriors was carried into half time.

On fifty, the away crowd lifted, as the Rhinos, from almost no where, managed to get themselves back in the game. A fancy Burrow side-stepping run saw him run from his own forty to Wigan’s ten. But a great tackle from an ongoing Warrior defender stopped him from going over, but then he offloaded to Danny McGuire, who after jugling the ball for a few seconds, went over the whitewash to score. Sinny kicked, and the score was 17-6.

Five minutes later, Ryan Hall stopped an almost certain try, but some how, decided to hold on too long to his legs. Richards kicked the penalty attempt and Ryan Hall was making the possible comeback harder - we now had to score three.

Twenty minutes left on the clock: Goulding skipped over for the home side, but thankfully, that didn’t make much of a difference to the fightback Leeds were preparing. Three converted tries were still needed, and that would put us in the lead.

With sixteen minutes to left on the clock, a sensational dummy by Danny McGuire actually confused many of the fans in the stadium. He then took it upon himself to throw out a long pass which was received by Hall, who dived over in the corner. Sinfield missed a vital conversion. 23-10.

Only one minute later and you could sense that the Rhinos players really wanted this. And when you want something, you have to gamble for it. That’s exactly what Leeds did: Burrow kicked to the corner was touched backwards in the attempt of keeping the ball in play. Then, Senior dropped on the ball to for an easy try. Sinfield converted and it was 23-16. Wow, this was tense.

Seven minutes left. Ali Lauitiiti had the ball knocked out of his hands, only to regain it, and for the tackle count to be wiped. From that, the ball was moved right and a nice pass from McGuire enabled Ellis to run on the angle and cross the whitewash. As Sinfield had just been carried off the field of play, it was Robbie Burrow who had to step up, and take the conversion attempt. He did, and the score was 22-23. That one pointer we mocked before was now proved to be vital.

The atmosphere was electric, but the Rhinos end was silent. After Leeds earned a penalty on Wigan’s forty for not clearing the ruck, it was down to Rob Burrow to try and take the two. The atmosphere really was immense, and that must of contributed. The kick was a good one but it was just a couple of feet wide. Calderwood managed to collect the ball from the kick, and the Warriors were allowed to run down the clock, running the ball dead, as Klein failed to stop the clock.

Wigan were on top of the first half, and the Rhinos were better in the second, almost returning to best form. The Leeds Rhinos have now lost three from four, and although the stats make it sound like it’s a mid season blip, the Rhinos are still managing to produce exciting comebacks like that, even if they do loose in the end.

Next week it’s the Huddersfield Giants back at the Headingley Carnegie. You just can’t see the Giants coming out of that with anything, and it may be a game used to regain our points difference, with a big win.

Sinfield’s injury doesn’t look too good, and it looks like he will miss next weeks clash and then the trip to the Catalans, but the word is that he should be back for the Carnegie Challenge Cup semi-final between the Rhinos and the Saints at the Galpharm.

Next week really should be a boost the players confidence, and lets get back to winning ways.

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