Water power!

SWEET 16 for the Centrurions! Leigh marched into the last 16 of the Kellogg's Nutri-Grain Challenge Cup on the back of a mighty effort from the 'grunt' guys.

The 'grunt' men, as Paul Terzis refers to his pack of forwards, were an awesome sight on 'Lake' Spotland - bossing the key areas of the game which Leigh won more convincingly than the scoreline would suggest.

Their total domination of the Hornets pack was crucial on a pitch already showing surface water even before the worst of the torrential rain came. If conditions were bad at the start, they were significantly worse 80 minutes later as Leigh defended the 'deep end'!

Conditions dictated a forward battle. That area won and a far superior field kicking game, coupled with some quality finishing, meant Leigh's win was a comprehensive one. The scoreboard disagreed, but 12 of Rochdale's points came in stoppage time at the end of each half. Those couple of lapses apart, there was no doubting that the right team went through to Round Five.

A

ll Leigh's forwards - nine in all - had top class games and deserve to be complemented particularly for the way they stood up to regular provocation. Hornets showed their hand in the first set of six when Dave Bradbury's nose became acquainted with Paul Davidson's knee, setting the scene for a niggling 80 minutes.

Leigh's self-control in a high-pressure game delighted Terzis. "I'm proud of the way my players turned a blind eye to some of the rough stuff being dished out," he said later as the Centurions nursed a series of cuts and bruises. Gareth Price needed running repairs on a deeply cut eyebrow; Eric Andrews needs micro-surgery to repair a badly cut mouth and Willie Swann came off with sore ribs.

"In conditions like those we needed to get over the top of their pack and use a kicking game that gave us good field position," added Terzis. "I was delighted with both aspects of our game. Our flexibility to switch players between positions was also a big plus for us."

Price and Bradbury consistently made big yards, Paul Rowley prompted and probed round the rucks, sponsors man of the match Chris Morley and second row partner ran themselves to a standstill and to steer and direct them along with a typically effective effort was co-skipper Adam Bristow.

Pin-point tactical kicking from Simon Svabic and Jon Roper consistently turned Rochdale round, especially as conditions worsened after half time.

Hornets may complain that they had two tries disallowed - one in bizarre circumstances. Matt Calland forced his way over at one corner while the touchjudge stood statuesque at the opposite corner to point out an earlier infringement.

Leigh also had a fair shout for a try but Liam Bretherton was ruled offside as he pounced on Swann's kick to the corner. Honours even on that score.

H

ornets' indiscipline and poor ball retention hampered them all afternoon. They had already conceded two penalties before Neil Turley kicked Leigh in front with a fourth minute penalty.

With David Stephenson yellow carded for dissent in only the 11th minute, Leigh showed that they could play their usual adventurous game despite the strong wind and driving rain. Mark McCully, in the starting line-up for the injured Paul Anderson, began the move with a weaving run out of his own '22'. Roper and Turley carried it on before McCully rejoined the action to accurately chip to the corner for the sharp Bretherton to force the ball down in the nick of time.

Stephenson had just returned to the action when Hornets levelled. Latham Tawhai brought impressive second rower Paul Smith onto a short pass, two Leigh defenders dropped off the tackle and Smith was through to the posts for Richard Agar to equalise.

But straight from the re-start Leigh restored their six-point advantage. Turley's deep kick off found touch 15 metres from the Rochdale line and in another cleverly worked scrum base move Svabic and Bristow combined to get Swann slithering in at the foot of a post. Turley easily converted.

Agar and Turley traded penalties either side of a Smith try ruled out for a forward pass and Bretherton judged offside from Swann's grubber and just when it looked as though Leigh would take a 14-8 lead in at the break, Hornets levelled with a dodgy try. A crossfield move that could have contained two forward passes ended with sub winger James Bunyan lunging over in the corner despite protests he'd stepped in touch. Agar's touchline conversion could have been a huge mental blow to the Centurions.

"We felt we should have been in front but I was happy to see the guys in charge of their emotions during the half time break," Terzis revealed. "But we knew we were capable of going on to win it."

L

eigh set the tempo for the second half with an early all-out assault on the Hornets line, McCulley, Rowley and Swann all going close. But all Swann got for his lunge at the line were a few sore ribs.

The breakthrough did come after 53 minutes when Vila Matautia's surging drive and off-load gave Turley the chance to show some nifty footwork and send Bristow aquaplaning over from five metres. Turley's conversion from the sideline made it 20-14.

The game-breaking moment came in the 64th minute when Svabic poached a try from nothing. When Stephenson chose to run the ball on the last tackle, Svabic picked off his pass on half way and romped away to put some daylight between the sides at 24-14.

Leigh comfortably kept Rochdale at arm's length until the final, hectic four minutes when Calland had his try disallowed and sub Danny Wood finished off under the posts deep in stoppage time.

Match Facts

Scorers: Leigh - Tries: Bretherton (16mins), Swann (23mins), Bristow (53 mins), Svabic (64mins). Gls: Turley 4 from 8

Rochdale - Tries: Smith (21mins), Bunyan (40mins), Wood (80mins). Gls: Agar 4 from 4

Penalties conceded: Leigh 8, Rochdale 8.

Scrums won: Leigh 9, Rochdale 11.

Sin-binned: Stephenson (Rochdale) 11mins, dissent.

LEIGH: Turley; Bretherton, McCully, Roper, Andrews; Svabic, Swann; Price, Rowley, Bradbury, Baldwin, Morley, Bristow. Subs: Ball (for Price BB 9, BBR 24); Hamilton (for Rowley 69); Kendrick (for Swann 46); Matautia (for Bradbury 26); Bradbury (for Price 58); Ball (for Andrews 66BB); Price (for Matautia 72).

ROCHDALE: Owen; Cooper, O'Meara, Calland, Billy; Agar, Tawhai; Davidson, Pachniuck, Rogers, Smith, Stephenson, Ball. Subs: Wood (for O'Meara 56); Sinfield (for Rogers 30), Bunyan (for Billy 13), Long (for Stephenson 68); Rogers (for Sinfield 63).

Referee: Richard Silverwood (Mirfield).

Attendance: 2710.