Women fall to derby defeat

• Match Report as Wigan Warriors Women fall to defeat away at St Helens.
• The Warriors were held to nil despite a spirited derby performance.
• FT | St Helens 44-0 Wigan Warriors.

Match Report as Wigan Warriors fall to derby defeat against St Helens at the Totally Wicked Stadium on Sunday afternoon.

Wigan’s new look side saw eight Betfred Women’s Super League debuts to take on St Helens. Saints ran in five first half tries to see the score at 28-0 at the break.

Wigan backed up well in the second half, denying St Helens a further score until the 67th minute, but the hosts proved too strong as they went over for three more scores to take the 44-0 win.

Report

St Helens opened the scoring early on as an overlap on the right edge allowed Leah Burke to ease over for the first of the afternoon, Zoe Harris added the extras for 6-0. Wigan did well in the wrestle but Saints were in again in the 14th minute as Chantelle Crowl went through a gap in the middle to score under the sticks, converted for 12-0.

The hosts extended their lead in the 20th minute as an overlap saw Amy Hardcastle crash over, the conversion from the far touchline from Harris didn’t have the legs but St Helens had the 16-0 advantage before Paige Travis added a fourth as she raced away, Harris added a third conversion to make it 22-0.

Amy Hardcastle raced away for St Helens’ fifth try of the afternoon, beating her defenders to get the ball down under the uprights, with another conversion from Harris making it 28-0 going in at the break.

Wigan lost Elli Costello early in the second half, forced off with a knee injury following a late shot. Wigan started to ask the questions though as they forced two errors from St Helens before earning a goal line drop out after some good attacking play. The drop out was short and straight to Abbie Singleton who did well to collect, but the resulting play to the right wing saw the ball go into touch and St Helens had the ball back in hand.

Taylor White made her debut in England in the 50th minute as Wigan continued to ask some questions of St Helens, with no breakthrough but having not conceded a further point by the hour mark as the score remained 28-0.

The hosts did extend their lead in the 67th minute as Shona Hoyle rounded the defence to score close to the sticks. Zoe Harris added the extras and it was 34-0 going into the final 10 minutes. Eboni Partington got on the scoresheet for Saints though as she found space on the left edge to make the scores 38-0.

Zoe Harris completed the win for St Helens as she burst through a gap to go over next to the sticks, converting her own effort for 44-0 and completing the result.

Gallery:

St Helens: Rebecca Rotherham, Eboni Partington, Amy Hardcastle, Rachel Woosey, Leah Burke, Zoe Harris, Jodie Cunningham, Isabelle Rudge, Tara Jones, Alice Sandham, Paige Travis, Naomi Williams, Chantelle Crowl.

Interchange: Shona Hoyle, Emily Rudge, Pip Birchall, Mottershead.

Tries: Burke (4′), Crowl (14′), Hardcastle (20′, 30′), Travis (25′), Hoyle (67′), Partington (70′), Harris (78′)

Goals: Harris 6/8

Wigan Warriors: Georgia Wilson, Kaitlin Hilton, Rachael House, Kerrie Evans, Ellie Costello, Carys Marsh, Freya Hellin, Emma Dwyer, Jade Gregory-Haselden, Holly Speakman, Mary Coleman, Sinead Doria.

Interchange: Taylor White, Beth Hayes, Abbie Singleton, Georgia Lake.