Reserves defeat Saints in Derby

• Wigan Warriors Reserves scored ten tries as they eased to victory against Saints on Saturday afternoon.
• Junior Nsemba, Logan Astley and Alex Sutton all crossed for two each in the rout.
• FT | Wigan Warriors Reserves 50-12 St Helens Reserves.

The Reserves signed off with a perfect home record as they eased to a 50-12 derby demolition of St Helens at Robin Park Arena.

Junior Nsemba, Logan Astley and Alex Sutton both went over for two tries each, with other scores coming from Sumner, Brannan, Hobson and Douglas.

Report

A rapid start from Saints saw them open the scoring inside two minutes, Wigan’s kick off was out on the full to gift St Helens immediate possession in the game as Ellis Archer picked out the run of Ben Lane who crossed for a try which Shay Martyn converted for 6-0. Wigan responded within two minutes as a Jack Bibby offload led to Reagan Sumner touching down on the wing, but no conversion left the score at 6-4. 

The turnaround was complete on eight minutes as Junior Nsemba broke the line to race over for a try but no conversion meant a narrow 8-6 lead though Wigan opened up a two-score lead on 12 minutes, Logan Astley racing down the field to score after a fine pass from Tom Mitchell and Ben O’Keefe converting for 14-6.

Saints hit back in style as a dash from Rio Osayonwambo-Corkill saw him pick out Lewis Baxter who crossed and Martyn converted for 14-12 but Wigan went into the half time interval in control after Toby Brannan scored from a Kieran Tyrer pass before Nsemba’s kick through was touched down by Sutton, O’Keefe converting the latter for 24-12 into the break. 

The control of the scoreboard continued with Brannan finding Astley for his second try of the afternoon which O’Keefe converted for 30-12 shortly after the restart.

Alex Sutton then completed his brace after benefitting from a clever combination by Nsemba and Astley for 34-12. Wigan reached the 40-point mark on 52 minutes as Ellis Hobson collected a rebounded kick to cross with O’Keefe converting for 40-12.

The penultimate try of the afternoon came on 68 minutes when a blistering run from Jacob Kilner-Douglas saw him evade several challenges before racing over for a stunning try but the conversion was missed at 44-12.

Wigan wrapped up the derby day win and the half-century in the final seconds as Nsemba raced in for his second try of the game and O’Keefe converted for a 50-12 final score that sees the Warriors stretch their unbeaten record to 12 wins in a row.  

Gallery:

Wigan Warriors: Reagan Sumner, Tom Mitchell, Ben O’Keefe, Alex Sutton, Jacob Douglas, Kieran Tyrer, Logan Astley, Jack Bibby, Tom Forber, Ramon Silva, Finley Beardsworth, Junior Nsemba, Toby Brannan.

Interchange: Harvie Hill, Ellis Hobson, Harvey Wilson, Tom Ratchford.

Tries: Sumner (4′), Nsemba (8′, 79′), Astley (12′, 44′), Brannan (37′), Sutton (40′, 49′), Hobson (54′), Douglas (68′)

Goals: O’Keefe 5/10

St Helens: Benjamin Lane, Keane Gilford, Ellis Keppel, Josh Simm, Shay Martyn, Ellis Archer, Daniel Moss, Lewis Baxter, Jake Burns, George Delaney, Rio Osayonwambo-Corkill, McKenzie Buckley, Taylor Pemberton.

Interchange: Jonathon Vaughan, Kalan Devine, Eliot Peposhi, Nathan Bannerman.

Tries: Lane (2′), Baxter (20′)

Goals: Martyn 2/2

By Simon Driscoll.