ST HELENS 6 WIGAN WARRIORS 44
LORRAINE MARSDEN, BrewDog Stadium, Thursday

WOMEN’S Super League returned with a new-look format but a very familiar outcome, as a blistering start by current champions Wigan proved that they will once again be tough to stop.

The Super Four has been introduced to give the game’s leading players the toughest end to the season possible, but a dominant nine-try win for Wigan perhaps didn’t follow that script, with Denis Betts charges sending out another strong message to their fellow top-four sides.

The visitors got off to the perfect start with two tries inside the first three minutes. The first came at the end of the opening set when Isabel Rowe’s towering kick was not dealt with by Liv Leach, with the ball then bouncing kindly for the chasing Ellise Derbyshire to touchdown.

Then, from the restart, an inside pass from Jenna Foubister found reigning Woman of Steel Eva Hunter, who raced away from inside her own half, swatting would-be tacklers like flies to go in under the posts and allow Rowe the first of her four successful conversions of the evening.

Wigan’s early momentum was temporarily halted as Leach was treated and then helped off the field with a knee injury. But despite Saints finally seeing some of the ball, Wigan soon increased their lead when Anna Davies beat Zoe Harris, playing on the wing after an early knock to Phoebe Hook, to Rowe’s chip to score in the corner.

When Saints were penalised for a high shot, and then conceded a six-again, Wigan took full advantage when quick passing down the left saw Molly Jones, making her first league appearance of the season following injury, get the final pass away to put Derbyshire in for her second.

Before the first half was out Hunter squeezed in at the corner for her second after an offload by Mia Atherton and a break by Mary Coleman worked them upfield, before Saints finally got on the scoreboard.

After back-to-back six-agains, Luci McColm spotted a gap in the Wigan defence to go over, with Faye Gaskin adding the conversion with the boot.

After Wigan had been so dangerous, and did much of the damage, in the first half they found points harder to come by in the second half as Saints offered a much steelier defensive performance.

As such, it took 13 second-half minutes before the Warriors found their way in again, with Molly Jones throwing a dummy to shrug off the tacklers and race in.

Hook, back on after her earlier knock, thought she’d hit straight back for Saints, but a superb Davies tackle saw her bundled into touch with the tryline beckoning.

Instead it was Wigan who were in next when Remi Wilton weaved her way through to go in under the sticks, closely followed by a great individual try from Foubister, who proved a thorn in Saints’ side all evening. Rowe added goals to both.

A late try by Mary Coleman, set up by another strong run from Hunter, put the icing on the cake for Wigan, as their current run of wins over their fiercest rivals extended to five.

GAMESTAR: Jenna Foubister’s solo try topped off another influential performance by the halfback.

GAMEBREAKER: Anna Davies’ huge try-saving tackle on Phoebe Hook, just minutes after Wigan’s opening try of the second half, stubbed out any real hopes of a Saints comeback.

MATCHFACTS

SAINTS
23 Liv Leach
1 Rebecca Rotheram
4 Amy Hardcastle
3 Rachael Woosey
2 Phoebe Hook
22 Mia Drescher
7 Faye Gaskin
11 Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth
17 Caitlin Casey
12 Emily Rudge
14 Paige Travis
18 Luci McColm
13 Jodie Cunningham
Subs (all used)
6 Zoe Harris
8 Vicky Whitfield
9 Katie Mottershead
16 Erin McDonald

Tries: McColm (35)
Goals: Gaskin 1/1

WARRIORS
1 Grace Banks
2 Anna Davies
16 Beri Salihi
4 Molly Jones
5 Ellise Derbyshire
6 Jenna Foubister
7 Isabel Rowe
8 Mary Coleman
19 Remi Wilton
20 Lucie Sams
11 Eva Hunter
12 Cerys Jones
13 Megan Williams
Subs (all used)
9 Carys Marsh
10 Mia Atherton
15 Bethan Dainton
17 Kelsey Gentles

Tries: Derbyshire (1, 22), E Hunter (3, 27), Davies (15), M Jones (53), Wilton (64), Foubister (69), Coleman (74)
Goals: Rowe 4/9

SCORING SEQUENCE: 0-4, 0-10, 0-14, 0-18, 0-22, 6-22; 6-26, 6-32, 6-38, 6-44

Rugby Leaguer & League Express Women of the Match
Saints: Faye Gaskin; Warriors: Jenna Foubister

Penalty count: 4-4
Half-time: 6-22
Referee: Denton Arnold