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World Club Challenge: Sinfield savours Leeds Rhinos success
Leeds Rhinos celebrate winning the 2012 World Club Challenge. PIC: Steve Riding
Leeds Rhinos captain Kevin Sinfield admitted the World Club Challenge triumph over Manly was a result from his dreams.
The Super League champions were 26-12 winners at Headingley, finishing off their Australian opponents with late tries from Ben Jones-Bishop and Carl Ablett.
Manly had threatened to overturn a 16-6 half-time deficit but could not maintain their momentum into the closing stages.
Sinfield said on Sky Sports 1: “We knew it was going to be a battle.
“We’ve had two really tough games in Super League already and those stood us in good stead tonight.
“In the second half against the wind we had to weather the storm a little bit, but there’s some character in our guys and you know in big games they’re going to show up.
“To be able to pick up a trophy at your own ground in front of twenty-odd thousand is stuff that you dream of.”
The Rhinos outscored Manly by five tries to two to clinch their third world crown in eight years and end a run of three consecutive wins by Australian sides.
England winger Ryan Hall scored two first-half tries, one of them a 90-metre solo effort, and explained that it was a victory for which much of the credit would go to the Leeds coaches.
“We had a bit of a game plan, a few things to work on,” Hall said.
“Luckily a couple of them worked so it was great.
“It was good work from the backroom staff to come up with them.”
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Weather for Leeds
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 8 C to 21 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: East
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 13 mph
Wind direction: East
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