1895 Cup: Featherstone Rovers 16-30 Leigh Centurions - Five-try Leigh beat rivals to win cup
- Published
Former Australia winger Blake Ferguson got his fifth try for Leigh in just his second appearance for the club
AB Sundecks 1895 Cup Final |
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Featherstone Rovers: (12) 16 |
Tries: Hall 2 Goals: Hall 4 |
Leigh Centurions: (12) 30 |
Tries: Inu, Reynolds, Ferguson, Ipape, Stone Goals: Inu 5 |
An excellent second-half performance saw Leigh win their first-ever 1895 Cup as they beat Featherstone Rovers 30-16.
The sides were level at half-time as Craig Hall kicked three goals and got a try for Rovers, while Krisnan Inu and Ben Reynolds went over for Leigh.
Leigh started the second period well as Blake Ferguson and Edwin Ipape's tries gave them breathing space at 24-12.
Hall got a 70th-minute second, but Sam Stone's late try sealed the win for Leigh after Rovers had spurned chances.
The win was a first final victory in London for Leigh since they were victorious in the 1971 Challenge Cup final.
The game between the Championship's top two sides was seen by many as a dress rehearsal for the Million Pound Game at the end of the season to decide which second tier club will go up to the Super League.
Both sides have invested heavily in their squads, and one of Leigh's high-profile signings, the former New Zealand back Inu got the first try, timing his jump perfectly to take Reynolds' last-tackle kick after seven minutes.
But the lead only lasted five minutes as Hall - who had kicked an early penalty - got on the end of a well-timed Mark Kheirallah ball after a four-pass move.
Edwin Ipape capped a man-of-the-match performance with Leigh's fourth try
Another Hall penalty increased Rovers' lead, but Reynolds skipped in from 10 metres after Papua New Guinea star Ipape's excellent break, before a third Hall penalty drew the sides level.
Leigh were excellent after the break as Inu's penalty edged them ahead, and John Asiata and Kai O'Donnell dropped good chances before former Australia winger Ferguson finally went over in the corner after 52 minutes.
Ipape's superb sidestep saw him glide over from 10 metres soon after, but Featherstone missed great chances to get back in touch as Briscoe and Kheirallah were stopped by some excellent defending.
Hall's try in the corner gave Rovers hope, and they should have got even closer, but Kheirallah knocked on as he broke clear from James Lockwood's excellent pass.
The game was sealed in the 78th minute when Reynolds' dribbling grubber-kick held up on the edge of the in-goal area and Stone snuck in to dot down as Leigh avenged their league loss to leaders Rovers.