Warriors hold off Rhinos charge
Wigan held off a spirited Leeds fightback to win the Challenge Cup 28-18 in a classic final at Wembley.
Last Updated: 28/08/11 1:02pm
Wigan held off a spirited Leeds fightback to win the Challenge Cup 28-18 in a classic final at Wembley.
The Super League champions looked on course for a straightforward afternoon after racing into a 16-0 lead midway through the first half.
But the Rhinos scored 14 unanswered points to muscle their way back into the game and looked to have the momentum to go on and claim a shock victory.
But Jeff Lima's second try on his way to a Lance Todd Trophy-winning performance and an opportunistic effort three minutes from time from Thomas Leuluai sent the trophy back to Wigan for the first time since 2002.
Wigan made a predictably fast start and could have scored when Ryan Hoffman broke from deep and had the Leeds defence desperately scrambling back.
It was a suprise that the first try took all of 10 minutes to arrive, as Wigan finally took advantage of a kick out on the full from Danny McGuire. After the ball was shipped out to the right wing, Josh Charnley cut inside and wrong-footed the covering defenders before finishing in the corner.
Pat Richards missed the kick but Leeds were hanging on and paid for another error whan Sam Tomkins' spiralling high bomb was knocked on in the shadow of his own posts by Brent Webb.
Two plays later a delicate short pass from Steve Prescott put Lima over from two metres out and Richards stretched the lead to 10-0.
Tomkins' magic
The try of the game came with Leeds making a rare foray into Wigan territory. Sam Tomkins collected a kick and ran laterally across the advancing defenders, before jinking outside and sending his brother Joel racing clear.
The centre still had plenty to do, but fended off Ryan Hall and cut back inside Jamie Peacock to score under the posts.
At 16-0 Leeds had to score next and they did - twice.
After a high shot on Rob Burrow the ball was quickly spun out wide and Karl Ablett sent Hall sliding in at the corner.
Burrow then set up the next try on the brink of half-time, scampering from dummy-half for Ben Jones-Bishop to finish superbly in the opposite corner.
Sinfield kicked that conversion and Leeds went in six points adrift.
The second half was a tension-wracked war of attrition, but after Hoffman lost the ball close to his own line and Ablett powered over, Leeds were within two points.
But Sinfield - normally so reliable - missed again and Lima took advantage of a clear forward pass by Lee Mossop to score, with Richards stretching the lead to eight.
Rhinos roar
But back roared the Rhinos once again with nine minute left, a bullet pass from Danny McGuire putting Ryan Hall in at the corner for his 99th try for Leeds.
Suddenly Wigan looked vulnerable despite another missed kick from Sinfield. But a couple of tight knock-on decisions went their way and then the most crucial one of all - the video referee awarding Leuluai the match-winning score after he darted in from 10 yards out and managed to get a loose ball down under intense pressure.