Substitutes used: Crowther Grimley Cook Yasa
Posted in General on 20. Jul, 2010
Substitutes used: Crowther, Grimley, Cook, Yasa.Referee: S Presley (Castleford).. Substitutes used: Murdock, Tatupu, Haughton, Johnson.Sheffield Eagles: Sovatabua; Sodje, Stott, Senior, Garcia, Sheridan, Lawford, Broadbent, Lawless, McAllister, Hay, Anthony Farrell, Turner. Offiah then did well to take Jason Robinson’s high pass for Wigan’s seventh try.An exchange of passes with Shaun Edwards brought Offiah his hat-trick, closely followed by a try for the substitute Andy Johnson, as Wigan edged towards a 100-point advantage over Saints, whose visit here in three weeks’ time looms as the Super League decider.Wigan: Radlinski; Smyth, Tuigamala, Connolly, Offiah; Robinson, Edwards; Cowie, Hall, O’Connor, Andrew Farrell, Cassidy, Paul. When the majestic Farrell got his pass away again for Paul to score, Sheffield were looking at a heavy defeat.Smyth was brought back early in the second half after going 75 yards to the try line but then went almost as far for one that did count. It was a display of more conventional forward skills that produced Wigan’s second try, Neil Cowie and Terry O’Connor both getting the ball out and Martin Hall scampering in to score.Sheffield, who had shown little as an attacking force, hit back with a splendid side-stepping run by John Lawless, goaled by Dean Lawford to halve Wigan’s lead.The reigning champions reasserted themselves when Farrell’s pass sent Mick Cassidy in, and a break following a charged-down kick then gave Connolly time to amble across the defence before picking out Martin Offiah with a long ball.
On the day before his 21st birthday, the new England captain, Andrew Farrell, showed again last night that he is the consummate rugby forward. Not only did he contribute seven goals, but his running and often exquisite handling were responsible for getting Wigan moving in the right direction after an uncertain start.
With cries of “Heave” to encourage them at the scrums and remind them of their recent rugby union adventures, Wigan looked curiously subdued in the opening stages, but still went ahead after 10 minutes when Rob Smyth got the ball out of tackle and Gary Connolly slipped through the defence.There was even an experiment with wheeling the scrum, which produced a touch-down for Henry Paul that was deemed illegal. Farrell led Wigan to a victory at Central Park that further improved a points difference already far superior to that of their rivals, St Helens. Ronnie Massarella, the British team manager, will be hoping to see Twostep jumping in the smaller classes with all his old flair this week.The Germans have not sent their top riders to Hickstead, but some of the best competitors from France, Ireland and Belgium will be in action at the Sussex showground, where the ENZA Grand Prix carries a first prize of pounds 12,000.. In November last year his leg became trapped in an iron gate and he had to have 12 stitches.But Twostep also had his moments of glory last year, winning the Calgary Grand Prix and finishing second in the European Championships. Hickstead will be the horse’s first show since Bordeaux in February, where he was being treated for a cut lip when he reared over backwards on to concrete.On that occasion Twostep was concussed and he cracked two bones in his withers. Last year John Whitaker rode Welham to a double-clear round for the victorious British team and this game little horse is likely to be his mount again tomorrow, and in Atlanta.Michael Whitaker’s likely Olympic partner, Twostep, will not be aimed at the Nations Cup or Saturday’s Grand Prix.
The 10-year-old is probably the best horse in the country and Billington will have the chance to prove it in tomorrow’s Nations Cup, for which he seems certain to be selected for the British team.
The quartet for the team will be chosen from the five squad members: Billington, John and Michael Whitaker, William Funnell and Di Lampard. And by a rich irony, it was Bannister himself, alongside Curtis, who persuaded David Graveney to withdraw when he tried to stand against Illingworth as chairman of selectors. On that occasion, Graveney was able to withdraw, an option Bannister does not have over the books.. Geoff Billington’s quest for a place in the Olympic team enters a crucial stage as the ENZA Nations Cup Show begins its four-day run at Hickstead this morning. Billington is part of the British squad at Hickstead, where he will be riding the wonderful Dutch-bred It’s Otto.