There may be only about seven miles between them off the field, but Jai Field and Bevan French certainly made the gap between Leigh and Wigan feel far bigger than that here. The Warriors’ talismanic Australian duo have so often been the answer in key moments for the club in recent years, and how that proved to be the case again here.
Newly promoted Leigh delivered pre-match, with their biggest Super League crowd treated to a pyrotechnics display. But when the main event started it was Field and French, as they so often do, who stole the show as Wigan registered their third successive win before the Good Friday derby with St Helens next week.
The pair helped swing a closely contested game firmly in favour of the Warriors. Field scored twice while French crossed for a try of his own and had a hand in several others – but this result, and the celebrations that came with it, were tempered by the news that Field will undergo scans to determine the severity of a hamstring injury he suffered in the final minutes. He will definitely miss Good Friday as a result.
“It was pleasing because we knew what we were stepping into in terms of the event and the passion the opposition would bring,” Wigan’s head coach, Matt Peet, said. “Bevan certainly looked like he enjoyed himself, we’ve always known he’s capable of brilliance and he’s performed as we’ve come to expect him to.”
There was a crackling atmosphere inside the Leigh Sports Village pre-match, and the noise was raised even higher when the Leopards broke the deadlock inside seven minutes, as fast hands to the right led to Tom Briscoe crossing in the corner. Jake Wardle was sent to the sin-bin for a late shot in the buildup but even without him, that setback stirred Wigan into life.
By the time Wardle returned, French had scored a wonderful solo try and Wigan went ahead when Field did the same, grounding the ball under pressure from three Leigh defenders to make it 10-6 at half-time. The game was in the balance at that point, but Field and French decisively turned it in Wigan’s favour after the restart with yet more stunning attacking play.
First, French broke free once again before Wardle reacted fastest to the full-back’s kick. Nine minutes later, French threw the decisive pass to allow Abbas Miski to cross.
Leigh showed plenty of spirit in response but they were ultimately well beaten and the result was put beyond doubt when Field stepped through the line before rounding Zak Hardaker to make it 24-6.
There was still time for two more Wigan tries in the final three minutes. Toby King grounded a Harry Smith kick before yet another imperious break from French led to a second from Miski.
