CATALANS DRAGONS 4 WIGAN WARRIORS 40
STEVE BRADY, Stade Gilbert Brutus, Saturday

WIGAN flexed their muscles for the play-offs with a brutal display of power, pace and precision in Perpignan, sending a clear message for pretenders to their Super League throne.

Bevan French’s brilliance, combined with the raw pace of Jai Field from fullback and Liam Marshall on the wing, were too much to handle for Catalans.

On a night of high emotion at Stade Gilbert Brutus where 13 departing players said farewell to French supporters in the last home game of the season, the game lived up to the occasion with a terrific contest which slowly drifted away from the home team.

There were last-minute reshuffles for both sides when Wigan’s Adam Keighran pulled out with a knee problem and Fouad Yaha failed to start for the Dragons, Liam Farrell moving into the centre and Arthur Romano filling in on the wing respectively.

Wigan started hot in the steamy conditions with winger Marshall streaking in at the left corner in the eighth minute, converted from the touchline by Harry Smith.

They were in full control of the opening exchanges with referee Tom Grant ruling on a string of contentious decisions, including a ferocious tackle by Wigan centre Jake Wardle on Dragons fullback Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet which had French fans howling but was deemed legal.

Marshall snuck in for his second try after 24 minutes of attrition, Smith hitting the post with his second shot at goal from the same angle.

Wigan turned up the heat when Zach Eckersley slipped a reverse pass into the hands of fullback Jai Field who showed blistering pace on a 40-metre run around Aispuro-Bichet for a 28th-minute precision strike.

The Dragons fought back and almost scored but couldn’t collect a rebound from the posts off a César Rougé kick, then on the next set Rougé bamboozled the Wigan defence with another high ball into the in-goal area which was scooped up by winger Romano for the first home try of the game.

Aispuro-Bichet missed the conversion but the Dragons were still in the contest at 4-16 at half-time.

Wigan’s French connection with Field paid off in the first set of the second half, a short kick over the defensive line from the stand-off collected and delivered to make the score 4-22.

Field then knocked on from the restart and Tyler Dupree was penalised for a high shot on Aispuro-Bichet for which the Wigan prop received a yellow card.

But Catalans couldn’t capitalise and even a 60-metre dazzling dash from Aispuro-Bichet was cut short in its prime by a brilliant tackle from Field.

French lessons were duly delivered with a pinpoint kick to the right corner for Eckersley to score in the 65th minute, again converted by Smith from the touchline.

Wigan turned the screw in the final stages with some brutal defending and the home team’s discipline tired with a string of penalties and six-agains in Wigan’s favour.

And the gaps showed with Eckersley racing over for his second try on the right, followed at the death by Marshall who sealed his hat-trick with a score on the left.

GAMESTAR: Jai Field just pipped winger Liam Marshall with his clinical finishing.

GAMEBREAKER: Field’s try just after half-time killed all momentum from the Dragons.

HIGHLIGHT REEL: A swashbuckling sprint and angled 60-metre run by Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet was cut short by a textbook fullback tackle from Jai Field.

ALBERT GOLDTHORPE POINTS
3 pts Jai Field (Wigan)
2 pts Bevan French (Wigan)
1 pt Ben Garcia (Catalans)

MATCHFACTS
DRAGONS
26 Guillermo Aispuro-Bichet
3 Arthur Romano
23 Matthieu Laguerre
4 Reimis Smith
5 Nick Cotric
33 Ugo Tison (D2)
18 César Rougé
11 Tariq Sims
14 Alrix Da Costa
16 Romain Navarrete
17 Bayley Sironen
9 Ben Garcia
24 Franck Maria
Subs (all used)
15 Tevita Satae
19 Paul Séguier
20 Jordan Dezaria
31 Denive Balmforth
18th man (not used)
32 Lenny Marc
Also in 21-man squad
8 Tevita Pangai Jr
13 Oliver Partington
22 Fouad Yaha

Tries: Romano (39)
Goals: Aispuro-Bichet 0/1

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
22 Zach Eckersley
12 Liam Farrell
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
7 Harry Smith
20 Harvie Hill
9 Brad O’Neill
16 Liam Byrne
21 Sam Walters
11 Junior Nsemba
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs (all used)
15 Patrick Mago
17 Kruise Leeming
19 Tyler Dupree
33 Kian McDermott
18th man (not used)
26 Jacob Douglas
Also in 21-man squad
3 Adam Keighran
24 Jack Farrimond
27 Harvey Makin

Tries: Marshall (8, 24, 80), Field (28, 43), Eckersley (65, 76)
Goals: Smith 6/8
Sin bin: Dupree (49) – high tackle

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 0-16, 4-16; 4-22, 4-28, 4-34, 4-40

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Men of the Match
Dragons: Ben Garcia; Warriors: Jai Field

Penalty count: 7-6
Half-time: 4-16
Referee: Tom Grant
Attendance: 10,150