Warren Gatland is convinced Wales are on course to become “an excellent team” despite a third successive defeat in another gloomy Guinness Six Nations campaign.
Gatland’s inexperienced side are battling to avoid the ignominy of the wooden spoon following Saturday’s 31-7 loss to title favourites Ireland.
Defeat in Dublin followed narrow losses to Scotland and England in this year’s tournament and was a 10th in 11 championship matches overall.
New Zealander Gatland, whose team host France in round four before Italy visit Cardiff on the final weekend, remains upbeat and offered an example from his playing days to demonstrate how fortunes can improve.
“I look back on my own career as a player, playing for Waikato against Auckland after the 1987 World Cup,” he said.
“They had a number of All Blacks and they probably put 40 points on us.
“We were starting to become a good team and coming off that experience, I wanted to play them next week.
“Because that’s what I learned from as a player and hopefully these guys are getting the same experience from that.
“A couple of years later, we ended up turning the tables on them.
“I have no doubt where we’re going, this team is going to be an excellent team going forward, when we get some more experience.”
Wales registered a third scoreless half in as many games as tries from Dan Sheehan and James Lowe helped the Grand Slam-chasing hosts lead 17-0 at the break.
A positive response brought a penalty try early in the second period but the visitors failed to capitalise on further chances in Ireland’s 22 before scores from Ciaran Frawley and Tadhg Beirne killed off the contest.
More than a third of Wales’ match-day 23 arrived at the Aviva Stadium with cap totals in single figures, and Gatland is keen to keep things in perspective.
“I think that we’ve said all along that it’s about the development of this team and learning,” said the 60-year-old, who returned for a second spell in charge ahead of last year’s Six Nations.
“They’ve played against one of the best teams in the world.
“Eight or nine of their team are over 30 and have been around for a while.
“It’s just making sure we keep working hard, doing what we’re doing and looking forward to the next game.
“It’s all about talking to players individually about how they found it out there, what did they learn from it, how they’ll be better next time as an individual.”
Wales captain Dafydd Jenkins hopes to help his country reach the same level as reigning champions Ireland.
“That’s where we want to be as a team,” said the 21-year-old Exeter lock, who is 13 years younger than Irish skipper Peter O’Mahony.
“Personally, I’ve seen where I want to get to as a player. I’m sure the rest of the team has as well.
“We’re going to push and work hard every day to make sure we get to that level.”
Robbie Henshaw insists Grand Slam-chasing Ireland must improve on a “scrappy” win over Wales in order to topple England at “cauldron” Twickenham.
Andy Farrell’s men kept themselves on course for successive Guinness Six Nations clean sweeps by registering a third consecutive bonus-point victory with Saturday’s 31-7 triumph in Dublin.
Ireland raced into a 17-0 half-time lead but then endured some nervy moments against Warren Gatland’s unfancied visitors before running out resounding victors.
The reigning champions have a fortnight’s break for fine tuning ahead of taking on Steve Borthwick’s side in south-west London on March 9.
“We knew Wales had nothing to lose and they threw the kitchen sink at us,” said Henshaw, who came off the bench in a 32-15 win away to England in the 2022 championship.
“The game itself was quite scrappy and we got momentum and it then stalled a bit.
“The fact we finished strong was a positive for us and it sets us up nicely for the next few weeks.
“Twickenham’s always a tricky place to go. It’s always that kind of cauldron environment.
“The last time we played there we had a good result but it’s going to be a tough game. We’ll have to get better again.”
Tries from Dan Sheehan, James Lowe, Ciaran Frawley and Tadhg Beirne, plus 11 points from the boot of Jack Crowley, were sufficient to comfortably dispatch Wales.
Ireland are now the only team yet to lose in this year’s tournament after England were beaten 30-21 in their Calcutta Cup clash with Scotland on Saturday evening.
The Scots are due to visit the Aviva Stadium on the final weekend.
Henshaw says Grand Slam talk will remain muted for the time being.
“It (back-to-back Grand Slams) is out there but we’re literally taking it game to game and training session to training session,” he said.
“Our next focus will be England and putting in a huge performance there.
“That (the Grand Slam) is in the background. We need to be looking at England and probably no further.”
Henshaw has played all-but 17 minutes of Ireland’s campaign so far on the back of a frustrating World Cup, severely hampered by injury.
The 30-year-old, who has partnered both Bundee Aki and Stuart McCloskey amid the injury absence of Garry Ringrose, is pleased to be back on track at Test level and feels midfield competition is fierce.
“Form comes with minutes you play and the more games you play, probably the better you will get,” he said.
“For me, the positive thing is just getting that run of games with Leinster and then into this campaign. It’s great to have back-to-back games and just building on it.
“Everyone who’s been playing this season has been on fire for their club.
“We’re blessed that we have such talent in the country that Stuart McCloskey last week stepped in and did an unbelievable job and Bundee’s been bringing his World Cup form through to this season.
“We’re in a great place with the talent we have and it’s great to see the performances being put on the pitch.”
John Stones has insisted Manchester City believe another treble is a possibility this season.
City tasted Premier League, Champions League and FA Cup success last year and remain in each of those competitions.
A hard-fought 1-0 win at Bournemouth on Saturday helped Pep Guardiola’s team close the gap to divisional leaders Liverpool to one point before they turn their attention to Tuesday’s trip to Luton in the FA Cup fifth round.
“That’s what we’re all here for and what everyone wants us to do. We want to try recreate what we did last season and that’s still possible,” Stones said.
“Games like this are one of the reasons why we made that possible last season.
“So, we go to the next game and have the same focus, try to do the same thing, get another win and move on to the next stage. The team we’ve got, the squad we’ve got, I’m sure we can do it.”
England defender Stones was at his versatile best against Bournemouth, regularly stepping into midfield and dominant in possession.
Phil Foden’s first-half tap-in earned the champions a 15th win from their last 17 matches.
It was also City’s third clean sheet from their last four league fixtures, but it only came after Marcus Tavernier squandered two fine chances, Ederson thwarted Dominic Solanke and Enes Unal headed a golden opportunity wide in stoppage-time.
Stones told the official club website: “I thought Phil was incredible.
“To come away with the three points is just what we wanted.
“It was something we’re so pleased with, you know how we dug in right until the end. It is never easy to come here and think you will dominate for 95 minutes.
“We came through the tough times, which is so important and while you’ll in it, it is not nice but when you come through it, we’re really proud of ourselves and pleased to keep another clean sheet against a team that threw everything at it.”
Bournemouth’s efforts after the break arguably warranted a point, but their winless league run now sits at seven matches.
View this post on Instagram
The Cherries have won twice in 2024 – both in the FA Cup – and they turn their focus back to that competition when Sky Bet Championship leaders Leicester visit Vitality Stadium on Tuesday.
Defender Lloyd Kelly (hip) is set to be absent and while boss Andoni Iraola was delighted with their display on Saturday, he warned a repeat is not guaranteed.
“I think the only thing is probably it gives more hope for the next games if we can keep this level, but it is not a guarantee,” Iraola pointed out.
“There is no guarantee that we will play next week the same we did here.
“Different games, different approaches. We have to see how we recover because we have a very demanding game in the cup against Leicester.
“They have one day more for rest and I think it is a big advantage. For us, it is also a very important game.”
Shoaib Bashir claimed a maiden five-wicket haul in any form of professional cricket, but England were met with resistance in Ranchi.
India turned an overnight 219 for seven into 307 all out on the third morning of the fourth Test, largely thanks to Dhruv Jurel moving from 30 to 90 before he was last man out on the stroke of lunch.
Tom Hartley spun one past a defensive push to leave India trailing by 46 after Bashir bagged the one wicket he needed for a first five-for in just his eighth first-class appearance and second Test.
Bashir, who finished with five for 119, might have had the milestone sooner, but Ollie Robinson spilled Jurel when he was on 59.
It was a difficult morning for Robinson as he was again down on pace, while the seamer sent down a further three no-balls, taking his tally to six on his first competitive appearance since last summer, with an extended absence perhaps contributing to a lack of rhythm.
It was left to James Anderson to make the breakthrough for Test wicket 698, although there was an element of fortune as Kuldeep Yadav defended on to his front foot and the ball rolled back on to off-stump.
Kuldeep leaned on his bat then began a slow trudge off, clearly distraught at his downfall for 28, having soaked up 131 deliveries, following in a handy 76-run stand alongside Jurel.
India did not fall apart at the back end as England had done 24 hours earlier as he shared a princely 40 with Akash Deep.
Jurel scored 31 of them, hammering Bashir for two meaty sixes after Robinson spilled a chance above his head, with the ball bursting through his hands.
Deep briefly got into the act but then got in a tangle against Bashir, rapped on the back pad and given lbw, with England getting their fourth umpire’s call of the innings.
Hartley ended Jurel’s counter-attack in the final over before lunch but it was India’s session with their last three wickets adding 130 to make sure they did not face a significant first-innings deficit.
On this day in 2009, Jason Robinson was appointed head coach of Premiership club Sale.
The former England back spent seven years as a player with the Sharks, captaining them to the Premiership title in 2006, before hanging up his boots after the 2007 World Cup final.
Prior to that, Robinson played nine years of rugby league before switching codes in 2000, where he played a key role in England’s 2003 World Cup victory.
The former Great Britain rugby league international joined Sale on a two-year deal and the club announced he would work beneath director of rugby Kingsley Jones, who described Robinson as a “proven 100 per cent winner”.
“It’s fantastic news for the club that Jason has agreed to join the coaching staff,” Jones said.
“It’s no coincidence that the three years that Jason was captain was the most successful in the club’s history.
“Jason has been a professional since the age of 16 and everything he has done in both codes he has been successful at.
“He is renowned for his enthusiasm and drive and is a proven 100 per cent winner.
“He also has great mentoring skills which will prove invaluable in his work with the senior and academy players at the club.”
Robinson spent just over a year in the role as head coach before he was replaced by ex-New Zealand All Blacks forward Mike Brewer.
Igor Shesterkin turned aside 39 shots and the New York Rangers held off the Philadelphia Flyers 2-1 to tie a franchise record with their 10th straight victory on Saturday.
Alexis Lafreniere scored in the second period and Matt Rempe tallied the first of his NHL career to snap a third-period tie as the Rangers matched 10-game runs by the 1939-40 and 1972–73 teams. They can set the franchise record Sunday on the road against last-place Columbus.
New York, which hasn’t lost since Jan. 26, moved into a virtual tie with Boston for the Eastern Conference lead.
Tyson Foerster had the lone goal for the Flyers, who have lost three of four (0-2-1) after four consecutive wins.
Philadelphia played without leading scorer Travis Konecny, who sat out with an upper-body injury.
Streaking Maple Leafs score late to beat Avalanche
Tyler Bertuzzi scored his third goal of the game on a power play with 2:51 remaining and the Toronto Maple Leafs edged the Colorado Avalanche 4-3 for their seventh straight win.
Bertuzzi, playing on his 29th birthday, scored his first goal of the game with 6:18 left in the first period to pull the Leafs within 2-1 and tallied his second of the contest with 5:15 to play in the second to make it 2-2.
He completed his third career hat trick and first since Oct. 14, 2021, with Mikko Rantanen in the penalty box for sending the puck out of play.
The seven-game streak is Toronto’s longest since an eight-game run from Nov. 22-Dec. 6, 2003.
Rantanen had a goal and an assist and Nathan MacKinnon set up three scores for the Avalanche, who had a six-game home winning streak snapped.
MacKinnon has recorded at least one point in all 28 home games this season.
Canucks rally past Bruins for overtime win
Brock Boeser scored his second goal of the game on a power play in overtime to complete the Vancouver Canucks’ 3-2 comeback win over the Boston Bruins in a matchup of division leaders.
Boston took a 2-0 lead into the third period but Boeser scored with 7:11 remaining and Filip Hronek tied it with 71 seconds left.
J.T. Miller assisted on all three goals for the NHL-leading Canucks, who had lost a season-high four straight.
Jesper Boqvist and Danton Heninen had goals for the Bruins, who played past regulation in their fifth consecutive game. They are 2-0-3 during that span.
Jaylen Brown had 30 points and eight assists and Kristaps Porzingis added 22 points to lead the Boston Celtics to their eighth straight win, 116-102 over the New York Knicks on Saturday.
Jayson Tatum scored 19 points and Derrick White contributed 13 for the league-leading Celtics, winners of 10 of 11.
Jalen Brunson scored 34 points and Josh Hart was next with 16 for the Knicks, who were swept in the four-game season series by Boston.
Porzingis ignited a 10-0 run with a 3-pointer and Brown closed it with a layup to give the Celtics an 88-71 lead with 3:53 left in the third quarter.
New York got the deficit down to 99-90 with 9:17 to play, but the Celtics took advantage of three turnovers and six missed shots to go on a 10-0 run for a 19-point cushion.
Banchero’s last-second 3-point play lifts Magic
Paolo Benchero converted a 3-point play with 0.8 seconds remaining to snap a tie and give the Orlando Magic a 112-109 win over the Detroit Pistons.
Banchero made an 18-foot jumper and the ensuing free throw for the winning points before Cade Cunningham hit the rim on a 70-plus-foot shot at the buzzer.
Banchero finished with 15 points as each Orlando starter scored in double digits in the Magic’s third straight win.
Cunnigham led NBA-worst Detroit with 26 points.
Timberwolves pull away from reeling Nets
Anthony Edwards scored 11 of his 29 points in the fourth quarter and the Minnesota Timberwolves assumed sole possession of first place in the Western Conference with a 101-86 victory over the reeling Brooklyn Nets.
Karl-Anthony Towns had 28 points and nine rebounds as Minnesota bounced back from Friday’s loss to Milwaukee with its fifth win in six games.
Cam Thomas scored 18 points for Brooklyn, which fell to 0-2 under interim coach Kevin Ollie and dropped to 1-7 in its past eight games.
Rookie Jake Knapp made 11 birdies to take the third-round lead in the Mexico Open as Matt Wallace’s challenge faded away.
Knapp had seven birdies as he carded a 63 to move to 19-under-par at Vidanta, four clear of fellow PGA Tour newcomer Sami Valimaki of Finland.
The American opened with a pair of birdies and added five more in six holes to reach the turn in 28.
Wallace had started the day alongside Knapp in a four-way tie for the lead, but the Englishman could only manage a level par 71 to finish the day eight strokes off the pace.
He was joined at 11-under par by Scotland’s Robert MacIntrye, who shot a 65 with four birdies topped off by an eagle at the 18th.
Canada’s Ben Silverman, Sweden’s Henrik Norlander and Chan Kim were on 12-under-par, completing a top five without a win on the PGA Tour.
Cameron Norrie’s defence of his Rio Open title is over after he was beaten by qualifier Mariano Navone in a gruelling semi-final.
Norrie struggled physically in the Brazilian heat as Navone, playing in his first ATP semi-final, pulled away to win 6-4 6-2.
The pair traded breaks in the opening two games, and then Navone, showing little fear in his first appearance on such a stage, got the break again to go 4-3 up.
Norrie saved break point three times in the next service game, but it was only a temporarily reprieve before Navone took the first set.
The pair traded further breaks at the start of the second set before another slog of a battle in the third game, which saw Norrie save four points on his serve before eventually succumbing.
That proved a turning point as Navone reeled off the next two games to take a commanding lead over a fading Norrie, whose resistance had been broken.
After falling 5-2 down, Norrie received treatment from the physio but got back on his feet to see the game out even though his fate was already sealed.
Mikel Arteta insists there is no secret to Arsenal’s recent success as he praised his side following victory over Newcastle.
The Gunners eased to a 4-1 win at the Emirates Stadium on Saturday night to move two points off the top of the Premier League summit.
A Sven Botman own goal set them on their way before goals from Kai Havertz, Bukayo Saka and Jakub Kiwior rounded off another fine display from Arteta’s men, although the returning Joe Willock’s late header ruined another clean sheet.
Arsenal may have laboured to a narrow 1-0 defeat in the first leg of their Champions League last 16 tie in Porto on Wednesday – but their domestic form has been imperious.
Asked what has clicked in a run that included 6-0 and 5-0 away wins at West Ham and Burnley, respectively, before beating Newcastle, Arteta said: “We’re in a good moment. Players are performing individually, it is not any secret.
“Things are flowing. We’re scoring goals in different ways and especially we want more. When we score one, we want two, or three, or four. I love that mentality from the team.
“We train every day the best possible way and look after ourselves. First of all though, belief. Belief in yourself that you can improve and always get better. Also getting players back.
“The more players we have back, the more competition there will be in the team, the more alternatives to impact the game. Especially we have to make sure we believe we can do it.”
Jorginho returned to the Arsenal side for the game against the Magpies and put in a man-of-the-match display.
The Italy midfielder has impressed in most outings this season, but was only on the bench in Portugal.
“He’s a top player,” added Arteta. “Especially when opponents have certain behaviours and set-ups, the way I imagine the game, he was going to have a big impact.
“After, you have to do it at this level. When he’s not playing consistently, credit to him because he was magnificent again.”
Newcastle were not at the races and have now shipped 23 goals in their past eight league games.
“It is a concern,” manager Eddie Howe conceded when asked about the recent defensive record.
“Of course, we are working on things behind the scenes, but that probably was not evident in today’s performance.
“It is a combination of things, we didn’t do well from corners, knew how good they are in those situations and the third goal as well.
“We were the dominant team and we’d have been right back in the game if we’d got that goal, so difficult moments defensively.
“I don’t think we truly got going in the first half, they put us under pressure, I thought that would be just the start of the game, but at no stage did we really come out of that moment.
“We did not compete well enough which is not like us. It is something to learn from.”
Wigan head coach Matt Peet promised more nights to match their nerve-shredding World Club Challenge win over triple NRL champions Penrith at a sold-out DW Stadium.
The hosts clung on for a record-equalling fifth triumph – to emulate Super League rivals St Helens – with a 16-12 victory in a thrilling game in which the lead swung five times and Penrith came within inches of levelling on the hooter.
Peet told the BBC: “Nights like this are the ones we crave and we’re going to have plenty more.
“It was a fantastic game between two outstanding teams and you could see all the way through what a fantastic team Penrith are.
“You play Penrith on another night and they beat any team, they never give in, but tonight we wanted it a bit more.
“It was going to take a special effort to get over against us tonight, we just wanted it so much.”
Tries from Abbas Miski, Kruise Leeming and Jake Wardle ensured the hosts matched their illustrious opponents who pressed valiantly with Taylan May denied a match-levelling try on the final hooter following a video replay.
“I couldn’t be prouder of the players, I love them to bits and everyone in the organisation deserves tonight,” added Peet.
“I thought the players were very brave with the ball in the second half, they kept playing and playing and obviously with our defence, it was a game we won by never giving in.”
Penrith head coach Ivan Cleary conceded the gap between the NRL and Super League was beginning to narrow after a second-consecutive northern hemisphere triumph for the first time in 16 years.
“Absolutely,” accepted Cleary on Sky Sports. “I think that’s the thing about this particular competition, we get to see the best teams together and Wigan were too good tonight.
“I guess we didn’t execute as well as they did. They had three opportunities and scored three tries and that was the difference. They executed better than us and maybe that was enough.”
Mauricio Pochettino insisted there is nothing personal between him and Jurgen Klopp ahead of Chelsea’s Carabao Cup final meeting with Liverpool on Sunday. (The final of the Carabao Cup between Chelsea and Liverpool will be aired live at 10:00/11:00 EST)
The pair faced off in the 2019 Champions League final when the Argentinian was in charge of Tottenham, losing 2-0 in Madrid to hand his opposite number a first trophy at Anfield.
The game is remembered for controversy after Spurs’ Moussa Sissoko was penalised for a contentious handball inside the opening minute, resulting in Mohamed Salah giving Liverpool the lead from the spot.
More recently the Reds were 4-1 winners against Chelsea in the Premier League at the end of January, when Pochettino’s side were outclassed by their hosts and fell well short of expectations set by the more than £1billion it cost to assemble their squad.
Since then there has been a notable upturn in performances, with three impressive away results including a 1-1 draw against Manchester City at the Etihad Stadium a week ago.
As he seeks his first silverware in England, the 51-year-old said neither he nor his players are motivated by revenge against their Wembley opponents.
“It’s nothing against Jurgen Klopp or Liverpool,” he said. “We love to compete with the best teams and Liverpool as a club, and Klopp with his coaching staff and the players, I think they are amazing. You love to compete with this type of organisation.
“It’s not personal against Klopp or against Liverpool to have revenge. It’s a challenge for us to say ‘we have the possibility to write history, winning a trophy’. That is our biggest motivation. That is my motivation.”
Chelsea followed the loss on Merseyside with a dismal 4-2 defeat at home to Wolves that saw sections of the home support boo the team off.
Since then, the atmosphere around the club has improved significantly, with the draw at City preceded by consecutive 3-1 wins at Aston Villa and Crystal Palace that have injected renewed hope into the team’s season.
“We didn’t compete (at Anfield),” said Pochettino. “If you see the first two minutes, we didn’t match them in the capacity to compete. We created some chances and there (should have been) a penalty after five minutes with (Conor) Gallagher that may change the situation.
“But the most important thing now in this process is to challenge ourselves to be better. If you want to challenge another person, but you are not ready… You need to put your body and your mind in the best condition. If we are in the best condition, we are going to challenge.”
Pochettino rejected the suggestion that victory on Sunday would prompt critics to move on from the huge transfer outlay expended by co-owner Todd Boehly since he took control in May 2022.
“It’s not easy in football,” he said. “It’s not an ordinary business. People know that it’s not only about spending money. It helps, but it’s not only.
“You need time if you want to build something. That is the process that we are involved in now.
“You cannot buy victories. You cannot buy trophies. Money helps, but it doesn’t give trophies.”
Barcelona moved up to second in LaLiga as they cruised past Getafe with a convincing 4-0 win at the Nou Camp.
Raphinha opened the scoring before Joao Felix, Frenkie de Jong and Fermin Lopez got in on the act in the second half.
Mallorca held Alaves to a 1-1 draw after Matija Nastasic’s close-range strike in the 88th minute drew the visitors level.
Almeria frustrated Atletico Madrid with a 2-2 draw.
Luka Romero’s brace put the hosts in front following Angel Correa’s opener. Rodrigo De Paul snatched an equaliser but Diego Simeone’s side could not find a winner late on.
Harry Kane scored a brace to help Bayern Munich back to winning ways as they beat RB Leipzig 2-1 in the Bundesliga.
Kane opened the scoring in the 56th minute and after Benjamin Sesko equalised, the England captain fired home a half-volley in the first minute of stoppage time to snatch a dramatic victory.
The double takes Kane’s league tally to 27 for the season.
Borussia Monchengladbach eased past Bochum 5-2 at Borussia-Park.
Gerardo Seoane’s side did not look back after Nathan Ngoumou’s opener, with five different scorers making up their impressive tally.
Stuttgart were held to a 1-1 draw by Koln after Eric Martel’s 62nd-minute leveller, while Union Berlin drew 2-2 with Heidenheim and Werder Bremen held Darmstadt 1-1.
In Serie A, Daniel Maldini and Matteo Pessina earned Monza a 2-0 victory over bottom-of-the-table Salernitana.
Simone Bastoni netted a dramatic stoppage-time winner to give Empoli a 3-2 victory over Sassuolo.
The left-back scored a header from a set-piece in the closing stages to boost his side’s survival bid.
Genoa scored two first-half goals to secure a 2-0 win over 10-man Udinese.
Thomas Thiesson Kristensen was shown a red card for the visitors.
In Ligue 1, Mahdi Camara’s hat-trick helped Brest end a winless run of three games with a 3-0 win over Strasbourg at Stade de la Meinau.
Camara struck twice in the first half before rounding off a terrific display from the penalty spot after an hour.
Jean-Charles Castelletto scored the only goal as Nantes were 1-0 winners at Lorient.
Wigan clinched the World Club Challenge for a record-equalling fifth time after surviving last-gasp video drama to confirm a 16-12 victory over triple defending NRL champions Penrith Panthers at a sold-out DW Stadium.
Tries from Abbas Miski, Kruise Leeming and Jake Wardle, plus four points from the boot of Harry Smith, ensured Matt Peet’s men emulated Super League rivals St Helens, who edged the same team in Sydney one year ago.
Yet in an absorbing clash in which the lead swung in a different direction five times, Wigan were forced into an agonising wait for confirmation of their victory after Taylan May crashed over on the final hooter – only for replays to determine he had been bundled into touch.
As Wigan celebrated the big-screen verdict, the agony was evident on the face of Penrith’s resident superstar Nathan Cleary, who could not prevent his side, all-but three of whom also started in the golden point loss to Saints, failing in their quest to land the trophy for the first time.
It was a night for Wigan to add to their list of previous title wins – the most recent of which came in 2017 – and all of which were recalled in a pre-match presentation which saw representatives of all four of those illustrious sides parading their silverware.
Yet Wigan’s glory night began in ignominious fashion when Willie Isa spilled the ball on the edge of his own 10 in the opening set, but with inexperienced Penrith half-back Jack Cole still finding his feet, the hosts survived the early onslaught.
In their first foray forward after 10 minutes, Jai Field took advantage of a repeat set to jink inside the visitors’ danger zone and the ball was dispatched out to the right when Bevan French sent Miski over in the corner.
With Cole’s confidence growing in only his second top-level start, the triple NRL champions responded with more pressure, Brian To’o held up inches from the line on the last, and Moses Leota fumbling another fine opportunity.
Penrith’s leveller arrived just before the half-hour mark through Cleary, whose initial kick was flapped at by Miski, allowing Cole to feed the experienced scrum-half to dart over and subsequently convert to give the Australian side a 6-4 lead.
Just as Penrith’s speed and pressure seemed to be making a difference, Wigan dredged up another response, again down the right flank where Adam Keighran found Miski and he sent the ball in-field through Isa for Leeming to touch down.
Smith’s conversion from under the posts gave Wigan a four-point lead but their opponents responded on the stroke of half-time when lively full-back Dylan Edwards flopped over in a repeat set, Cleary having the last say of the first half to boot his side into a two-point interval lead.
Cleary continued to orchestrate Penrith’s assault at the start of the second half, his cleverness almost sending Sunia Turuva in the corner, but again Wigan withstood a tough spell and came back firing as Wardle twisted over to restore Wigan’s slender lead after 55 minutes.
Smith’s second-successful conversion put Wigan back four points in the clear and there were signs of frustration creeping into the Penrith ranks as Cleary, of all people, fumbled an opportunity after Isaah Yeo broke the Wigan line.
The hosts clung on as the clock ticked down, Field racing over for a stunning last-ditch tackle that dumped May into touch after the Penrith centre burst clear and looked a near certainty to level the scores.
French thought he had all-but won it when he raced onto a Smith kick with eight minutes left on the clock, only for Wigan’s celebrations to be cut short by an offside call.
The home side were forced to live on their nerves in the final moments as Cole barged close then May crashed over in the corner as the hooter sounded, forcing Wigan into an agonising wait until their famous victory was secured.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
