Leeds Rhinos dig deep to book place at Wembley with tense Challenge Cup semi-final win v Wigan Warriors

Rhinos will face holders St Helens on August 12 in a repeat of last year’s final, but they had to dig deep against a Wigan side who defended magnificently in a tense last-four showdown.

It was a much tougher game than two weeks ago when Rhinos won 52-0 at Wigan in Betfred Women’s Super League and the result was in the balance until the final 10 minutes.

The occasion was bitter-sweet for Rhinos hooker Keara Bennett. She was named player of the match, but – along with substitute Kaiya Glynn - is set to miss the final because of a two-match ban.

Both players gave their all and their hopes of playting at Wembley rest on the outcome of an appeal hearing on Tuesday.

Another player facing an anxious wait is full-back Ruby Enright who will undergo x-rays after suffering a shoulder injury in the first half.

Rhinos opened the scoring, but made a succession of errors in wet conditions and failed to create any other against a strong Wigan defence.

The visitors were behind for only six minutes before taking advantage of a rare opportunity to send the sides in at the break all square.

The third quarter was a repeat of the opening 40, with Leeds doing all the pressing but unable to find a way over the line.

Tension mounted, but Wigan – who had no real attacking opportunities after the interval – eventually cracked on the hour and Leeds added another try moments later to finally put daylight between the sides before a penalty goal completed the scoring.

Wigan’s Molly Jones had a touchdown ruled out because of a knock on before Rhinos opened the scoring after 17 minutes through Amy Hardcastle.

The England star, a Challenge Cup winner for Saints in each of the past two seasons, powered over from 15 metres out, stepping round the first defender and proving too strong when she got to the line.

The advantage was short-lived though. Caitlin Beevers couldn’t take a bouncing kick near Rhinos’ line and in the resulting set Beri Salihi - whose mistake had given Rhinos the ball for their try - went in at the corner from Rachel Thompson’s pass.

Neither try was converted and there was no more scoring until the 61st minute when a superb pass from Caitlin Casey found Beevers and she stepped infield to score between the posts.

Eloise Hayward took over kicking duties from Enright and tagged on the two. Leeds scored again five minutes later through winger Tara Moxon who crossed at the corner from captain Hanna Butcher’s pass after Jenna Greening and the impressive Bethan Dainton had handled.

Hayward couldn’t add the extras, but landed a penalty from in front of the posts with seven minutes left to send Leeds to Wembley.

Wigan Warriors: Salihi, Greenfield, Davies, M Jones, Hilton, Banks, Marsh, Speakman, Dwyer, C Jones, Molyneux, Coleman, Thompson. Subs Burrows, Bardsley, Johnson, Hunter.

Leeds Rhinos: Enright, Robinson, Buytcher, Beevers, Moxon, Casey, Greening, Hornby, Bennett, Anderson, Hardcastle, Murray, Dainton. Subs Cudjoe, Glynn, Hayward, Northrop.

Referee: Elliot Burrow (Millom).