Saints go top of Super League after beating Wigan

It was as close to a complete performance from the men in the red vee, who made a mockery of their injured list against the full strength Warriors.

The Saints pack was dominant, hungry and eager and behind them halves Jon Wilkin and Travis Burns orchestrated the plan with an effective kicking game.

Wigan full back Matty Bowen in particular was haunted by the boot, letting the ball slip twice to yield Saints tries.

Saints dominated large parts of the match and could count themselves unlucky to have gone in trailing 10-8 at the break.

The Warriors took the lead on 11 minutes when they created an overlap for Dan Sarginson who raced in unopposed at the corner, with Matty Smith kicking the goal.

But Saints began to win the arm wrestle, pinning the visitors back with Wilkin’s and Burns’ kicking game working superbly.

After a Mose Masoe surge, Saints fanned the ball wide where Jordan Turner sent Adam Swift in at the corner to open their account.

A Burns 40/20 created the platform for Turner to force his way over the line.

Turner had a fine game and his deep kick and chase while clearing the lines forced a drop out the other end.

it provoked a piece of rash play; a forced pass that went to ground as Saints went for the kill just before the break.

it was punished with a breakaway try, against the run of play with speedster Joe Burgess racing the full length to put the Warriors ahead at half time.

Saints had shown enough in the first half to show they meant business and were not looking for injury alibis.

They were first out of the traps in the second half when Wilkin’s kick was spilled by the hapless Bowen, who was having one of those Nathan Graham type nights that can torment full backs.  allowing Burns to nip in and touch down.

Back-to-back penalties allowed Wigan to level when Joel Tomkins scored an unconverted try on 50 minutes, but Saiints were winning the war of attrition. 

Their big men comfortably withstood a ferocious spell when Wigan threw all bar the kitchen sink at them in the tackle.

Ball carriers, most notably big Alex Walmsley regularly punched their way through to lay the platform for Saints to end their sets well.

They still needed the crucial break and key passages of play, and after Percival’s penalty had nudged them back in front it took a try saving track back from Masoe to stop another against the run of play try. 

The 20stone powerhouse motored down the flank, outpacing the Wigan centre Dan Sarginson to snuff out the try before coming off for to applause for a breather.

It was blood and thunder stuff – literally – with Wilkin left with claret all over his face after being brushed by while on the floor - an incident which bizarrely saw the Saints skipper penalised for interference.

A quick bandage and it was shades of Twickenham 2006 with the skipper back on with a vengeance. 

His high punt was dropped by Bowen, allowing on-song full back Shannon McDonnell to cash in for a try.

And Wilkin fittingly grabbed the last try, when another Wigan error - this time a loose pass – allowed the captain to pick up and score.

Mark Percival sealed the victory with a late penalty that send the home fans in the 16,692 crowd happy - especially considering the list of star men to return before the next time these sides meet.

Saints: McDonnell; Dawson, Percival, Turner, Swift; Burns, Wilkin; Amor, Roby, Walmsley, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Flanagan, Jones. Subs: Masoe, Richards, Savelio, Fleming.

Wigan: Bowen; Charnley, J. Tomkins, Sarginson, Burgess; Williams, Smith; Mossop, McIlorum, Flower, Bateman, Farrell, O’Loughlin. Subs: Crosby, Powell, Tautai, Patrick.