Rams charge to Super Bowl

Aeneas Williams (with ball) celebrates his touchdown

St Louis Rams reached their second Super Bowl in three years with a 29-24 victory over the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC championship game.

Marshall Faulk was the Rams' hero, rushing for a career play-off-high 159 yards and scoring two second-half touchdowns.

St Louis, who had the NFL's best record in the regular season, will now face the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans on 3 February.

St Louis quarterback Kurt Warner showed no ill effects from the sore ribs that forced him out of training earlier in the week.

We felt to win this game, we had to get that ball to Marshall

St Louis coach Mike Martz

The league's Most Valuable Player finished with 22-for-33 for 212 yards and one touchdown.

Meanwhile, receiver Isaac Bruce had eight receptions for 84 yards and a touchdown.

Philadelphia quarterback Donovan McNabb was 18-for-30 for 171 yards, one touchdown and one interception.

The Eagles, who were the underdogs, had the better of the first half of the game, leading 17-13 at half-time.

St Louis could not get a hold of the game and were kept off-balance by the tight Philadelphia defence.

But the match turned in the third quarter when the Rams dominated the clock and scored 10 points.

They ran 22 of the 28 plays in the period, with Jeff Wilkins landing his third field goal and Faulk making a one-yard touchdown run.

Faulk then dived over for another one-yarder in the fourth quarter.

McNabb scored on a three-yard run to reduce the deficit for Philadelphia with 2:56 to play.

Duce Staley penetrates the Rams' defence

After forcing a punt, the Eagles had one last comeback try, but All-Pro cornerback Aeneas Williams had his sixth career play-off interception and ran down the field for another Rams' touchdown.

"We came up a little short but I'm proud of the guys," said Philadelphia coach Andy Reid.

"They are all coming back and we will give it another run next year."

Meanwhile the Rams will head for Super Bowl XXXVI in New Orleans, Faulk's home town.

"I couldn't have written a script better than this," he said.