Quarter Finals
Leeds Rhinos 23 d. Wigan Warriors 16

2008 Challenge Cup Index [Draw] [Club Headlines]

Location: United Kingdom > National > First Grade Competition: Challenge Cup

Leeds edge out Wigan
Sun June 1, 2008
Source: www.therfl.co.uk

Carnegie Challenge Cup favourites Leeds Rhinos survived a tense quarter-final clash to beat Wigan Warriors 23-16 and move within 80 minutes of a trip to Wembley.

New Zealand full-back Brent Webb celebrated his new three-year contract with his 35th try on his 44th appearance while Australian winger Scott Donald grabbed 17th of the season to clinch a hard-fought triumph.

The win enabled the engage Super League champions to avenge their fifth-round defeat by Wigan last season, as well as a shock home league defeat earlier this year.

Wigan boss Brian Noble, who had enjoyed victory on 11 of his previous 17 visits to Headingley Carnegie as a head coach, opted not to give new signing Cameron Phelps his debut and also left former Leeds full-back Richard Mathers out of the side.

Both men were reduced to the role of water carriers but another ex-Leeds favourite, winger Mark Calderwood, sparked a comeback to match that of Lancashire on the neighbouring cricket pitch against Yorkshire.

Calderwood brought the visitors back into the game with a try three minutes before half-time when he went up in the air with Donald following Thomas Leuluai's high kick and came down with the ball.

The try followed Wigan's best spell of the match, a period of intense pressure in which Leeds were forced to defend five successive sets of tackles near their own line.

Had the champions been able to hold out at that time, it would have been unlikely the Warriors would have been able to mount a fightback that kept the tie in the balance right up to Kevin Sinfield's drop goal a minute from the end.

Pat Richards, the League's leading scorer this season, converted Calderwood's try to two earlier penalties and trim the Rhinos' lead to just 12-10.

Earlier, hooker Matt Diskin gave Leeds an early advantage when he brushed off the tackle of Wigan prop Andy Coley to touch down for a soft try and scrum-half Rob Burrow went 70 metres for a second after gathering a Trent Barrett kick that bizarrely bounced off the head of prop Stuart Fielden.

Sinfield added both conversions to extend his club record scoring run to 60 matches and put his side on the front foot at the start of the second half by cleverly re-gathering his own kick-off.

Substitute Luke Burgess had a try disallowed for offside while Great Britain second rower Gareth Ellis lost the ball over the line as Leeds sought to establish control.

Wigan also had a Richards try disallowed by video referee Ashley Klein, who spotted an obstruction by Joel Tomkins, but there was no disputing Leeds' next try.

Diskin was put through a gap by Danny McGuire's well-timed pass and Webb was in support to grab his 11th try of the season.

When Sinfield kicked his third goal to make it 18-10, Leeds looked to have secured their place in Monday's semi-final draw but Leuluai took George Carmont's offload to scoot away for a 66th-minute try.

Richards' fourth goal once more cut the gap to two points and the home side were grateful for a flying tackle by McGuire that forced winger Liam Colbon into touch just short of the corner.

The Rhinos were only able to breathe easily when Donald finished impressively at the corner after taking Ellis' pass and, although Sinfield lost his 100% goalkicking record, he made amends with a drop goal.

Report Source: www.therfl.co.uk

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