McGuire and Sinfield find extra inspiration

Leeds 33 St Helens 26 aet; 26-26 at 80min

Leeds' captain, Kevin Sinfield, and one of their emerging stars, Danny McGuire, saved an epic Powergen semi-final in the final seconds, and then won it in extra-time. McGuire's try and Sinfield's touchline kick took the game into added time, and a repeat performance two minutes before the end clinched it.

Sinfield's penalty gave first blood to Leeds in what was to be one of the best semi-finals ever staged, but it was cancelled out when Darren Smith scored from close range. Saints thought they had a second when Paul Sculthorpe released Paul Newlove, but the touch judge had called the pass forward. Leeds' response was three tries in 10 minutes, all from kicks.

The first was from Sinfield, with the bounce deceiving Paul Wellens for Mark Calderwood to score. Four minutes later there was the unusual spectacle of a try being set up by a half-naked player, Andrew Dunemann losing his shirt before kicking to the same corner for Calderwood to score again.

Chev Walker then showed his kicking skills, Francis Cummins touching down. With Sinfield adding two conversions, Leeds were threatening to run away with it. Not surprisingly, Sean Long was brought on, and immediately began to test Leeds' defence.

In the last minute of the half, Long's kick forced a drop-out, sent straight to touch by Sinfield. The outstanding Mick Higham fed Sculthorpe and this time Newlove was sent over legitimately, with Scul-thorpe adding the goal.

Leeds defended constantly at the start of the second half, only conceding points when Long's run led to a penalty duly kicked by Sculthorpe.

From the restart, Higham put Leeds on the back foot again with a dash through the middle, and Sculthorpe somehow managed to force the ball down over the line.

The conversion gave Saints a lead which was soon wiped out by Sinfield's penalty. Now it was Saints' turn to defend, until an offside allowed Sculthorpe to put them back in front.

When Long's run and pass to Smith stretched the lead to six with just four minutes left to play, Saints looked to be home, but crucially Scul-thorpe missed his first kick, and in the last act of normal time McGuire got over in the corner and Sinfield landed a nerveless conversion.

Mike Bennett had a Saints try disallowed for offside at the start of extra time, but the opening point of the first period was Sinfield's dropped goal. Two minutes from time, after Higham had been held on the Leeds line, Sinfield broke away and McGuire booked Leeds' passage to Cardiff.

Leeds: Connolly, Calderwood, McKenna, Senior, Cummins, Sinfield, Dunemann, Bailey, Diskin, McDermott, Walker, Adamson, Furner. Subs used: Poching, McGuire, Ward, McDonald.

St Helens: Stewart, Albert, Gleeson, Smith, Newlove, Sculthorpe, Wellens, Britt, Higham, Stankevitch, Joynt, Jonkers, Hooper. Subs used: Long, Bennett, Edmondson, Ward.

Referee: R Smith (Castleford).