That might have been enough to win it on its own but just to make sure Farrell plunged over

That might have been enough to win it on its own, but just to make sure, Farrell plunged over for his second try of the game in the last minute, adding his fifth conversion to underline his multi-layered importance to his only club.Farrell’s influential performance came at the end of a difficult week during which his father was taken to hospital following a heart attack.”He was absolutely outstanding,” his coach, Stuart Raper, said “That’s why he’s captain of his country. There are a lot of real leaders in rugby league in this country, but Andy is the top of the pack.”Hull’s Shane McRae has suffered at Farrell’s hands throughout his coaching career in Britain. “It could have gone either way except for Andy Farrell,” he said.” He drives me mad sometimes. He’s a champion player and they find ways to get results for their teams.”Farrell’s first try steadied Wigan after they had fallen behind to Graham Mackay’s early effort it was an example of how he has thrived as a running back-rower this season, shrugging of tackles to touch down.Adrian Lam’s side stepping try and Farrell’s second goal gave Wigan an eight-point lead for the first time in the match.

Hull hit back with a close-range effort from a tapped penalty by Andy Last before Stephen Wild celebrated his inclusion in the Lancashire squad by releasing Brett Dallas to restore the eight-point advantage.Mackay’s penalty whittled away at that lead and it was wiped out before half-time when Paul Cooke sold a dummy and stole through.Wigan took the lead once more early in the second half, with Farrell supplying David Hodgson, whose kick and 40-yard chase to touch down showed his exceptional pace.Even without six regulars, however, Hull showed plenty of resilience and the talented and versatile Horne wriggled through for the converted try that tied upthe scores yet again.The game was now perfectly balanced with both sides manoeuvring for a match winning opportunity. Predictably it was Farrell who found a way of deciding it, completing a personal haul of 19 points for the match as he did so.It was not the ideal start to the weekend for McRae, who is getting married today – and Andy Farrell, who has spoiled his party on so many occasions, is specifically not invited.Hull: Horne; Parker, Kohe-Love, Mackay, Chris Smith; Cooke, J Smith; Greenhill, Last, King, Maher, Ryan, Chester. Subs: Carvell, Poucher, Bird, JacksonWigan: Radlinski; Dallas, Hodgson, Johnson, Ainscough; O’Neill, Lam; O’Connor, Newton, Craig Smith, Wild, Furner, Farrell. Subs: Carney, M Smith, Bibey, O’Laughlin.Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).. If Wales had kept their concentration, and line, intact at the end of the first half they could well have been celebrating their first victory over the Springboks on South African soil. In fact, Colin Charvis and his men totally dominated the opening 30 minutes and looked capable of giving their new coach Steve Hansen something to smile about.At long, long last there were signs from the Welsh side that they are getting to grips with the Hansen style. They knocked the Springboks out of their stride with a marvellous opening quarter.The highlight of that bright opening came when the Welsh pack went through 10 phases of play in the build up to a first try from the left-winger Craig Morgan that stunned everyone.

Such was the Welsh dominance, Morgan could have scored a hat-trick in the opening 16 minutes, just knocking on after charging down a Stefan Terblanche kick ahead with an open field ahead of him, and then losing the ball in the tackle with the line five metres away.It simply got better for the well organised Welsh side as Stephen Jones kicked a penalty to make it 8-0 and then replied instantly to Andre Pretorius’ penalty with a drop goal. No problem, no trouble.The Springboks were under the cosh and they were in desperate need of a spark Cometh the hour, cometh the man. It was Western Province scrum-half Johannes Conradie, making his Test debut, who took it upon himself to make things change.To begin with, it was his quickly-taken penalty in the Welsh 22 that created enough havoc in the previously solid red defence to allow Marius Joubert to power past Kevin Morgan for a vital try. Then he did the same after the break to create a penalty try – some debut from South African rugby’s golden boy in waiting.If that try from Joubert brought a huge sigh of relief, there was better news when skipper Bobby Skinstad skinned Robin McBryde to make it two tries in seven minutes at the end of the first half.