Challenge Cup Semis

[bartman]

I think with this week's salary cap penalty again Wigan, everyone is glad to see them cop a hiding and cup exit from these underdogs...

 

[bartman]

Forums running a bit slow at the moment...

Some Wigan pressure on the Catalans line, all comes to nothing though, a few wrong options, and good scrambling by Catalans.

62nd minute, Stacey Jone sin bin for professional foul (slowing the play down, while offside).

64th minute, Wigan use the advantage and score out wide on their right, spreading and holding the ball until they had the nimbers. Try scored by Goulding, converted from out wide by RIchards.

31-18.

13 points in it, about 15 minutes to go. Stacey back in 8 minutes.

Cats kick off goes dead on the bounce, Wigan drop out. Just what they needed.

 

[bartman]

Wigan recover the ball from their gaol line drop out.

Get up to Cats 40m on the 6th tackle. Leuluai kicks to a corner, recovered by Greenshields 5 meters out from line.

 

[bartman]

Huge bust to Jerome Guisset up the middle, taken by RIchards in the last line of defence.

Cats now 5m out from Wigan's line on same set of six...

 

[bartman]

Bad pass on the 6th tackle from dummy half to Croker, he has to reach a foot out to it, O'Loughlin recovers, passes to Calderwood on 10m line, he outruns Greenshields and runs the rest of the field to score...

Converted to make the score 31-24, 11 minutes left, Stacey back in 3.

 

[bartman]

Big Wigan crowd trying to lift their side as they complete their set of six after the kickoff.

Make it to the Cats 40m line, Barrett hoists a mid-field bomb, Khattabi and Greenshields collide and it's a knock on.

Wigan scrum 15m out...

 

[bartman]

They spread the ball right from the scrums, ends up with Calerwood, looks a chance to score but bundled into touch 1m out by Wilson and winger (Duport?)in cover.

Catalans scrum feed on their own 10m. Scrum penalty awarded to Catalans. Stacey back in 90 seconds.

10 minutes to go, 31-24.

 

[bartman]

Pressure releiving penalty for a high shot in the middle of the park. Catalan kicks for touch and continues to run the ball up. Now 10m out, Stacey back on the field.

 

[bartman]

Viedo ref checking Cats try... Croker under the posts... not sure what they're checking?

Jones grubber kick seems to hit Croker on the way through, he regardthers and scores under the posts...

Didn't seem to hit Crokers hands and he didn't play at the ball... could be a try. Checking offside, looks OK...?

 

[T to the T]

Stacey Jones = Genius

 

[bartman]

Oh Yeah!

Try awarded to Catalans. 35-24, kick to come from in front.

 

[bartman]

Wigan fans leaving in droves now...

 

[bartman]

Jones converts, 6 from 7 for him today.

Catalans 37-24. Game over. Well done Catalans.

About 7 minutes left.

 

[The Tank]

C'mon you Cats!!! I hope they don't choke now with so little time left! I'm bloody nervous...

 

[bartman]

Wigan on interchange left, Catalans 3 left. I think Mounis was injured during the game and hasn't returned.

Wigan regain from the kick off, throwing the ball around, real catch-up stuff. Ends up a dropped ball and Catalans have a scrum near their own line.

 

[bartman]

Dropped ball in a tackle. Wigan rush to form a scrum and get time off.

They still need to score two converted tries and a field goal to draw, 4 mins 30 secs left.

 

[T to the T]

Phenomenal game. Should erect statues of Guisset, Chan and Mogg in Perpignan after this. Incredible game

 

[bartman]

Catalans recover ball out wide from what became a bit of a scramble of passes. I suspect the ref missed a Cats knock on there, but anyway...

Big kick gives the ball back to Wigan on their own 20m. There's nothing really doing now other than desperation, the games settling and the result looks clear.

 

[T to the T]

Chan been given MoM, could of giving it to 17 players today

 

[bartman]

This is a massive effort for the Frenchmen to win what is essentially an away game for them, and get through to the Challenge Cup final.

I hope that the Perpignan fans are excited by this, and are starting to book their trips to London next month... Hopefully the achievement spreads wider than just the fans, and gets the game more exposure and support in areas of France.

Good Catalans pack today, consistent effort over 80mins. Great flair from Maguire and Jones, great efforts by the threequarters as well.