ROCHDALE HORNETS 0 WIGAN WARRIORS 83
CHARLIE BOYER, Crown Oil Arena, Sunday

WIGAN scored 15 tries as they progressed to the fourth round with victory over Rochdale in front of the Hornets’ biggest crowd since 1998. 

It took the Super League side five minutes to open the scoring, when a ball over the top from Bevan French found Zach Eckersley, who strolled over for the first of his four tries.

French and Eckersley combined once more just after the ten-minute mark as the Wigan stand-off poked a low kick to the corner for the winger to get his second.

Matt Peet’s side started to turn on the style and French was in the thick of it again, this time latching onto the end of a kick over the top of the defence to get his name on the scoresheet.

Hornets went close midway through the half when Dan Nixon rose above Liam Marshall but couldn’t quite gather the high ball, before a brawl instigated by Dylan Kelly-Duffy’s shot on Kaide Ellis got the crowd off their seats.

That excitement didn’t last, however, as moments later Jai Field sliced through to score to establish a firm grip on the match.

French had his second twelve minutes before the break, strolling home following an inside pass from Eckersley. And what was already a tough hill to climb for Rochdale now looked like a mountain.

Gary Thornton’s side almost got themselves on the scoresheet just before the break, but TJ Boyd, under pressure from the Wigan defence, couldn’t quite keep hold of a floated kick from Jamie Dallimore. 

Defence turned in to attack straight away as Marshall broke away before handing the ball inside to Jack Farrimond to finish.

Straight from the restart Jake Wardle provided the spark with the lightning-fast Field in support to score his second and Wigan’s seventh try of the afternoon.

And on the stroke of half-time, French kicked a surprise field-goal from close range to extend his side’s lead.

The second half started in the same vein as the first, as Oliver Partington bustled his way over after a short ball from Brad O’Neill, before Eckersley dotted down in the corner to complete his hat-trick.

Three minutes later, Jake Wardle cut through from close range as Matt Peet’s side hit the 50-point mark. He added to his total almost instantly after picking up a loose ball in the corner following some scruffy play.

Patrick Mago was the latest Wigan try scorer in what had by now become a rout, planting the ball down amongst a sea of bodies. 

Field soon grabbed his third as he strolled through, with Eckersley going over for the fourth time with a try in the corner.

Wardle completed his hat-trick as his side hit the 80-point mark six minutes from time, which proved to be the final action of a game where the home side fought well but were eventually undone by the quality and power of one of Super League’s top sides.

GAMESTAR: You could take your pick from the Wigan performance, but four tries from winger Zach Eckersley capped off a good team display.

GAMEBREAKER: Wigan’s early first try set the tone for what was to come as the Warriors proved unstoppable on their way to round four.

MATCHFACTS

HORNETS
1 Max Flanagan
22 TJ Boyd
3 Tom Ashton
4 Junior Sa’u
2 Dan Nixon
6 Jamie Dallimore
20 Joe Hickey
35 Isaac Reid
9 Ross Whitmore
17 Dylan Kelly-Duffy
12 Ethan Wood
24 Ben Metcalfe
13 Jordan Syme
Subs
10 Lewis Hatton
18 Dan Lynch
19 Luke Waterworth
34 Isaac Coleman

WARRIORS
1 Jai Field
2 Zach Eckersley
3 Adam Keighran
4 Jake Wardle
5 Liam Marshall
6 Bevan French
19 Jack Farrimond
20 Sam Eseh (D)
9 Brad O’Neill
10 Luke Thompson
11 Junior Nsemba
12 Liam Farrell
13 Kaide Ellis
Subs
8 Ethan Havard
15 Patrick Mago
17 Oliver Partington (D2)
22 Tom Forber

Tries: Eckersley (3, 11, 47, 69), French (15, 28), Field (21, 36), Farrimond (34), Partington (43), Wardle (50, 55, 74) Mago (60), Field (64)
Goals: Keighran 11/15
Field-goals: French (39)

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-6, 0-10, 0-16, 0-22, 0-28, 0-34, 0-38, 0-39; 0-45, 0-49, 0-55, 0-61, 0-67, 0-73, 0-79, 0-83

Rugby Leaguer and League Express Men of the Match
Hornets: Dan Nixon; Warriors: Zach Eckersley

Penalty count: 4-3
Half-time: 0-39
Referee: Aaron Moore
Attendance: 4,248