Tetley's Challenge Cup: Wigan Warriors crush Dewsbury rams

Joe Burgess: four tries for Wigan

The 19-year-old Burgess touched down twice in the first nine minutes of the fourth-round tie at the Tetley's Stadium to give the Warriors a flying start but they were kept scoreless for the next 39 minutes by their plucky hosts.

However, the Rams faded badly in the final quarter, allowing their visitors to plunder 30 points in the last 17 minutes and run out 58-6 victors.

The only disappointment for the Warriors was an injury to England winger Josh Charnley, who hobbled out of the action midway through the first half.

It looked a routine task for the holders when Burgess touched down twice inside the first nine minutes on his Cup debut.

Matty Smith's clever kick forced a scrum on the Dewsbury 20-metre line and Burgess took skipper Sean O'Loughlin's cut-out pass to cross unopposed for his first try on four minutes.

The youngster added his second five minutes later, touching down Blake Green's slide-rule grubber kick, and Smith's second conversion made it 12-0.

Any thoughts that the Rams were going to be over-run, however, were quickly dispelled as they clawed their way into the contest with a combination of aggressive defence and spirited attack.

Pressure

Aided by a string of penalties, the Championship side put their visitors under pressure, with former Wigan centre Karl Pryce bundled into touch-in-goal and winger Dale Morton being denied a try for offside.

The Rams eventually got the score they deserved three minutes into the second half when Morton took Pryce's pass to cross at the corner and Tom Hemingway, an early replacement for the injured Aaron Brown, landed the touchline conversion to cut Wigan's lead to just six points.

Starved of possession, the Warriors demonstrated their attacking prowess once they got their hands on the ball and it quickly became a procession.

A storming run from replacement forward Tony Clubb set up the position for Burgess to complete his hat-trick on 48 minutes and eight minutes later Hampshire made the running for a try for Dan Sarginson, who played the last hour on the right wing in Charnley's absence.

Burgess produced a flying finish to register try number four on the hour and prop Scott Taylor powered through a tiring Dewsbury defence to get Smith and replacement hooker George Williams.

The Rams faded badly in the final quarter and Thornley sliced through for his second try before Green rounded off the scoring spree with his side's 10th try a minute from the end, with Williams kicking a third conversion after taking over the goalkicking from a rested Smith.