Semi Finals
Bradford Bulls 14 l. St Helens 35

2007 Challenge Cup Index [Draw] [Player Stats] [Club Headlines]

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

St Helens destroy Bradford to book Challenge Cup Final defence
Mon July 30, 2007
Source: www.therfl.co.uk

Evergreen hooker Keiron Cunningham led St Helens back to Wembley as the holders destroyed Bradford Bulls to book a fifth Challenge Cup final appearance in eight years.

Cunningham, who appeared in Saints' back-to-back Wembley triumphs over the Bulls in 1996 and 1997, produced a man-of-the-match performance on his 400th appearance for the club to help them to a clinical six-try triumph.

Beaten by Bradford in an Odsal mudbath a fortnight earlier, Saints revelled in the summer sunshine at the Galpharm Stadium in Huddersfield and produced some scintillating rugby to which the Bulls had no answer.

The holders never looked back after taking the lead after only three minutes, although the turning point arguably came after 27 minutes when referee Richard Silverwood disallowed a try by Bradford centre Ben Harris for obstruction.

The Bulls, who complained over the official's refusal to go to the video referee, would have been level had the try been allowed but instead conceded the next try to slip out of contention.

A penalty conceded by Bradford hooker Terry Newton for a high tackle gave St Helens the first sight of the Bradford tryline and Sean Long's cut-out pass found centre Willie Talau with space to stroll over for the opening score.

Long, who has been practising his goalkicking this week after volunteering for the role, landed the first of four conversions from the touchline to make it 6-0 and it nearly got even better for Saints.

Loose forward Jon Wilkin, back from suspension following his recent dismissal against Bradford, broke clear in midfield and found the supporting Paul Wellens but the Bradford defence scrambled back to avert the danger.

In Bradford's first serious attack, second rower Glenn Morrison went close and Tupou ought to have scored wide out after Paul Deacon's long ball found centre James Evans but the big winger could not take his inside pass.

However, the Bulls maintained the pressure after their opponents were caught offside and it paid off on 17 minutes when Evans ran on to Deacon's perfectly-judged grubber kick to pick and score.

Deacon, the most accurate goalkicker in engage Super League, was surprisingly wide with the conversion attempt to leave his side trailing 6-4.

St Helens extended their lead on 22 minutes with a try that was almost a carbon-copy of their opener, although this one took a little more scoring.

Leon Pryce's long pass again exposed a chink on Bradford's right-sided defence but this time Talau had to shrug off an attempted tackle before winger Francis Meli plunged over at the corner.

This time Long was wide with the difficult goalkick but St Helens strengthened their grip with a try of breathtaking brilliance seven minutes before the break.

Substitute James Roby sparked the move, skipping out the attempted tackle of Sam Burgess on halfway, and delightful handling from Wellens and Wilkin got centre Matt Gidley over for a classic score.

Long's second conversion made it 16-4 and he edged his side further in front in first-half stoppage time with a snap drop goal from 45 metres out.

Bradford needed a quick score in the second half if they were to get back into the contention but the game became fragmented, with both sides struggling to find their early fluency.

The Yorkshiremen did pull a try back on 54 minutes, with Tupou taking Newton's pass to squeeze over at the corner, but it was too far out for Deacon to convert.

And Saints hit back immediately, with Bulls substitute Matt James putting his side under pressure with a knock-on inside his own 20-metre area.

Slick handling from Cunningham and Long worked an opening for substitute forward Paul Clough to cut through the Bradford defence for his second try of the year and Long's third goal made it 23-8.

Bradford's last chance to get back in the game disappeared with another handling error from Tupou and, although Saints, too, visibly tired in the energy-sapping conditions, they had a big enough lead not to worry when the Bulls finally got over the line.

Big Joe Vagana was Bradford's scorer, taking three defenders over the line with him, and Deacon hit the target with his kick for the first time to cut Saints lead to nine points.

But the 15-point gap was restored almost immediately when former Bradford favourite Leon Pryce intercepted Iestyn Harris' kick and raced 80 metres unopposed for the clinching try, to which Long added his fourth goal.

Saints were not finished, however, with man of the match Cunningham sending second rower Mike Bennett over for his side's sixth try, with Wellens adding the goal.

Bradford 14-35 St Helens

Bradford: (4) 14
Tries: Evans, Tupou, Vagana
Goals: Deacon

St Helens: (17) 35
Tries: Talau, Meli, Gidley, Clough, Pryce, Bennett
Goals: Long (3), Pryce, Wellens
Drops: Long

Bradford: Platt, St Hilaire, B. Harris, Evans, Tupou, I. Harris, Deacon, Vagana, Newton, Lynch, McKenna, Solomona, Morrison.
Replacements: McAvoy, Henderson, Burgess, James.

St Helens: Wellens, Gardner, Gidley, Talau, Meli, Pryce, Long, Fozzard, Cunningham, Graham, Gilmour, Bennett, Wilkin.
Replacements: Roby, Hargreaves, Clough, Fa'asavalu.

Referee: R Silverwood (Dewsbury).

Report source: www.therfl.co.uk

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