Lew on League: Back by unpopular demand for a second consecutive season

Wigan v Leeds: Round 2 of the Championship Season 06/07

Last week in round 1 Leeds struggled at home to beat Huddersfield whilst Wigan lost away to the French side Catalan Dragons. Both sides in this game had been tipped for top three honors and both had disappointed their supporters. Nevertheless it was considered to be a temporary aberration, the sort of thing which frequently happens in the first match of the season. So more than 17,000 expectant spectators filled the JJB stadium for this Friday night match. If it was thrills they wanted then they had them in abundance.

At first Leeds seemed to be the better side. They put Wigan under pressure and Wigan just seemed incapable of breaking the Leeds tackling line. However though they constantly threatened the Wigan try line, somehow they could not break that last line of defence. After about 25 minutes of this Wigan fought there way into the Leeds 22 metre line. It was clear that the Leeds defence was solid, so Moran the Wigan star scrum half kicked high towards the Leeds line towards the corner flag. The Leeds winger on that side leapt for the ball but somehow our old friend Calderwood now playing for Wigan managed to catch the ball with his fingers and play it backwards to be caught by Tomkins of Wigan who grounded it for the first try of the match.

Suddenly Wigan seemed to grow in stature as Leeds wilted. Holes appeared in the Leeds defence. Five minutes later Wigan pressed up to the Leeds line and Godwin the Wigan hooker took the ball at the play the ball and dummied his way over. Worse was to follow for the thousands of Leeds fans as a few minutes later Wigan cut through the Leeds defence to score again and at half time the score was Wigan 16 – Leeds 0.

Leeds came at the Wigan defence with the same resolve that they had shown at the beginning of the game but this time with more success. Millard the reserve hooker who had been signed from Widnes took over from Diskin. This seemed to give the Leeds attack more direction and eight minutes into the second half he took a play the ball near to the Wigan line, dummied to move left and then chose the right path to go over the try line to open the score for Leeds. Sinfield added the goal and with the score 16 – 6 Leeds were back in the game.

Further Leeds pressure saw Millard change the direction of attack when twenty metres from the Wigan line and his perfectly timed pass to Mcguire saw the latter burst through the Wigan line, jink past two defenders and cross the line. Sinfield added the goal and the score was 16 – 12.

Now the astonished Leeds supporters were roaring on their heroes and scenting victory. Wigan tried to counter but it was clear that their forwards were tiring. Leeds began throwing the ball about, taking the game from one side to another. Eventually with 10 minutes to spare, Sinfield broke the Wigan line from ten yards out and levelled the scores at 16 – 16. His goal put Leeds in front for the first time in the game.

With only four minutes to spare it seemed that all Leeds had to do was slow the game down and hold out. Wigan attacked taking the game to the Leeds 20 metre line. Leeds then took the ball and were expected to just give it the forward to plough their way up the field against the tired Wigan forwards. Instead the ball was quickly swung to the left where Danny McGuire’s speed took him through the Wigan line and saw him haring for the try line. He was caught by the cover defence, but managed to slip the ball inside to Rob Burrow whose speed took him over the line and end the scoring.

Wigan 16 – Leeds 24 a wonderful win for Leeds and a vital 2 points against an opponent tipped for honours. McGuire was duly named ‘man of the match’.

Next week is the real tester: St Helens away. When the season started I felt that on paper ‘the Saints’ were the outstanding team in the league. I still think so. But what a mouth-watering game.