Wigton Find Form

Wigton continued with their improved form of recent weeks with a hard fought, but well earned 20-12 win over Cockermouth. The rain and wind played a major part in how the game developed but Wigton were much more successful at adapting their tactics to suit the conditions with their second half performance almost being a master class in playing into the wind. Penalties too played an important role in the game. There were few attacks from deep so penalty kicks for touch were the most effective way of gaining entry into the opponents twenty two. For the second home game in a row Wigton succeeded in committing fewer infringements than their opponents.

Wigton had use of the wind first but it was evident that Cockermouth were hoping that the key weapon in the contest was to be their powerful scrum. On Wigton’s first put in the Cockermouth eight tried to shove their opponents onto the cricket square with a mighty surge. However, Wigton’s No 8 Greg Wrathall did marvellously well to pick up the ball at the base of a retreating scrum. Indeed, despite the Wigton scrum being under pressure for the whole of the half, they managed to win their own ball, albeit on the retreat. However the Wigton pack were able to regroup and manufacture usable possession on the back of Wrathall’s effort. It was clear however, that this was not a day to give the visitors a scrummage anywhere near the tryline.

Early on Wigton tried passing the ball but accuracy was very difficult in the conditions, something Cockermouth too found out. The Cockermouth defence did well to snuff out a couple of early attacks by choke tackles, earning themselves a scrum. From early penalties Wigton had a couple of lineouts in the Cockermouth 22 and made decent progress with a series of pick and goes near the base of the ruck. However the defence was able to induce mistakes and win the odd penalty.

Lineouts were interesting. With the wind blowing in their faces Cockermouth were repeatedly penalised because the throws were not straight, often blowing several metres towards their own side. This was to present Cockermouth particularly with a conundrum they never really solved. Wigton were more successful in winning their own ball but it was not a great day to be a hooker throwing in. There were times when Cockermouth decided it was too much of a lottery at the lines and often opted to tap penalties.

Cockermouth infringed in midfield with a no arms tackle and Reed caught them napping with a quick tap. The Greens kept the ball close attacking on a narrow front with the pack gradually grinding their way closer and closer to the tryline. It was attritional stuff but it was successful and eventually Wrathall was close enough to reach out and place the ball over the line. It was not a day for kickers, even with the wind, unless they were in front of the posts so the unconverted try gave Wigton a 5-0 lead.

A similar score came from a penalty for a high tackle. This time Reed kicked for touch in the twenty two. The ball was claimed in the line (no easy feat) and the forwards started the grind again. Progress was unspectacular but it was steadily forward and eventually Wrathall claimed his second try. A 10-0 lead with the wind was a start but it was not an impregnable position.

The complexion of the game changed just before half time. This time Wigton concedes penalties. Rather than kick into the wind, Cockermouth took taps. Their prop Jack Gaskell rolled the defence back into their twenty two. A knock on came and Wigton had a chance to clear. However, with advantage over, Wigton too knocked on giving Cockermouth a scrum about 10 yards out. Spectators held their breath as the ball was won and moved to the feet of No 8 Will Gate. Would the Wigton pack hold? At first the movement was small, almost imperceptible, but eventually it became a steady march forwards. Referee Martin Denver indicated advantage but this was not needed and Gate scored the try. Fly half Ed Gate added the conversion and as halftime came Cockermouth were doubtless highly satisfied to be only 10-7 down with forty minutes of favourable wind to come.

The way the second half started was not in the Cockermouth game plan. Wigton fly half Lewis Plackett did well to find the turf with his kick off and the ball rolled into touch in their twenty two. Worse was to follow for the visitors. Wigton won the lineout on Cockermouth’s throw. Even though Cockermouth had the wind at their backs, at lineout time this meant that there was a good chance of any lobbed throw gusting towards the Wigton side. Wigton’s forward then repeated the medicine which had brought them two tries in the first half: lots and lots of pick ups and drives round the fringes of the rucks. Some drives surged several yards forward, especially if two of three supporters quickly latched onto the ball carrier. Sometimes the defenders gained a little ground, but crucially, Wigton were able to keep possession and regroup. These were not tactics to excite neutral spectators, but in the conditions they were exactly the right thing to do. Almost inevitably, Wrathall got over the line for his hatrick. Reed’s conversion attempt almost blew back to half way ready for the restart, but Wigton now had a 15-7 lead.

If Wigton had come up with the right formula for playing into the wind, Cockermouth seemed to have lost the plot for playing with it. They decided that because the wind was making lineouts a lottery, especially on their throw, they simply would not kick for touch. Several times they tapped penalties rather than kicking and that meant that they gave up any advantage of field position. As the half went on, they became increasingly desperate. Another advantage of Wigton’s approach was that it ran the clock down whilst retaining possession. Their opponents could score if they didn’t have the ball!

Dan Reed produced the tactical kick of the game when he spotted that Cockermouth had no deep defenders and he rolled the ball into the corner of their twenty two. A good chase meant that as the defender picked up, he was bundled into touch, giving Wigton the throw to a lineout. As it happened they were penalised for not straight and Cockermouth had a scrum. With a wind at their backs they started passing along the line in their twenty two. Indifferent accuracy meant the ball went loose and the Wigton backs pounced upon it. The line was at their mercy but a knock on prevented a try. It was however, an indication of how Wigton now had their opponents in a tactical straightjacket. Incredibly despite the wind being in Wigton’s faces most of the second half was played out in the Cockermouth half, much of it in their twenty two.

No one was particularly surprised when Wigton extended their lead with more up-the-jumper moves. Neither did it come as a great shock to see Wrathall emerge with the ball as he claimed his fourth try to give Wigton a bonus point and a 20-7 lead. Indeed Wigton looked like extending that lead if anything when one forward drive charged thirty yards only to lose the ball on the line. By this stage Wrathall had left the field with a cut eye following a high tackle which was penalised by the referee. Second row James Wilson took over at the base of the scrum. By now the Cockermouth pack seemed to be tiring and the scrums became increasingly comfortable for the Greens with Wilson picking up at the base and making good ground.

It was Cockermouth who were to have the last word. Wigton conceded a couple of penalties in midfield which were duly tapped. The player who gave Wigton most problems during the afternoon was prop Gaskell and it was he who got his team going forward with a powerful run with defenders festooned around him. Finally getting front foot ball, stand off Gate threaded a well weighted kick behind the defenders into the twenty two. Winger Ben Irving was the first to claim the ball, touching down for a try. The missed conversion was immediately followed by the final whistle and Wigton took great satisfaction from their 20-12 victory.

Most of the plaudits go to the pack with props Wannop and Bell and second rows Storey and Wilson doing a lot of work. Sometimes especially favoured backs such as Harris and Moffatt were allowed to pretend to be forwards and plough the ball down the middle of the park. The win also involved a lot of tackling and it was the result of a good team performance. This will cast an interesting dynamic on next week’s visit to Cockermouth. Wigton’s backs will be hoping for decent weather but the pack will have taken a lot of confidence from grinding out today’s win over a team which has made great progress in the last couple of years and who pose problems for all the teams in the league.