Saints in Cup heaven

Sean Hoppe fails to break free from Leeds' defence

St Helens 27-22 Leeds Rhinos

Two tries from Paul Sculthorpe sent St Helens into the Silk Cut Challenge Cup final after a nailbiting clash with Leeds.

In a tense clash which at times threatened to boil over, Saints needed Sculthorpe's second effort in the last minute to guarantee their passage to Twickenham.

In doing so they avenged three successive cup exits at the hands of the Rhinos and they play winner of Sunday's match between Warrington and Bradford.

A Tommy Martyn drop-goal five minutes from time had given St Helens a one point lead but with time running out, Leeds opted to run the ball rather than go for a match-tying drop-goal.

Paul Wellens attemps to get clear

With players in position to attempt a kick, Matt Diskin was tackled to give St Helens possession.

They then decided to run the ball on the last tackle as Leeds desperately sought to get their hands on the ball and Sculthorpe coasted in with the defence in disarray to make the game safe.

Leeds had the better of the opening exchanges, but it was a piece of Sculthorpe opportunism that broke the deadlock.

Playing only his second game in six weeks after a broken jaw, he anticipated that Barrie McDermott would offload in the tackle and beat the covering defence to score under the posts.

Leeds got back on level terms with a try conjured from deep within their own half.

Chev Walker fended off Sean Hoppe's tackle and the ball reached Brett Mullins who toyed with the defence before sending Mark Calderwood clear.

Aggressive action

We don't have a gameplan - we just go out and play off the cuff rugby and it's pretty easy to coach these guys

  Ian Millward,
St Helens coach

In a fiesty clash that bristled with intensity, McDermott was penalised after landing a punch on Peter Shiels. The St Helens prop was left with a nasty gash under his right eye and McDermott is likely to face censure from the judiciary.

Kevin Iro went close before Chris Joynt, who only passed a fitness test an hour before the match, released Sean Long who beat Tonie Carroll to the line.

With tempers frayed, referee Russell Smith was forced to intervene after a scuffle between Vila Matautia and Darren Fleary.

Both were sinbinned after a dust-up and while they were off the field Saints struck a crucial blow just before the break.

Long put a grubber kick through for Martyn and the stand-off got the vital touch under the posts to give the reigning Super League champions a handy 16-6 half-time lead.

Thrilling finish

The Rhinos struck back straight after the resumption through Pratt after a strong run by Walker.

I am disappointed with the scoreline but not with the effort

  Dean Lance,
Leeds coach

The stand-in scrum-half drove low to cross and the Rhinos were right back in contention after Kevin Sinfield dummied his way over close to the line minutes later.

Harris's conversion made it 10 points in 13 minutes to put Leeds within reach at 18-16.

Paul Newlove beat the despairing tackle of Francis Cummins to cross in the corner in Saints' next attack, but the match was all square seconds after the restart.

Mullins got his left hand to Pratt's kick into the in-goal and Harris's conversion set up the dramatic finale.

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St Helens: Wellens, Hoppe, Iro, Newlove, Sullivan, Martyn, Long, Fairleigh, Cunningham, Nickle, Shiels, Joynt, Sculthorpe.
Replacements: Jonkers, Matautia, Stankevitch, Stewart.
Leeds: Mullins, Calderwood, Carroll, Walker, Cummins, Harris, Pratt, Fleary, Diskin, McDermott, Hay, Farrell, Sinfield.
Replacements: St Hilaire, Clyde, Netherton, Mathiou.
Referee: Russell Smith (Castleford)