WORLD and Super League champions Leeds Rhinos edged closer to a trophy hat trick after ending the dreams of French part-timers Toulouse in an entertaining Powergen Challenge Cup semi-final at the Galpharm.

The Rhinos scored four tries in the final quarter to run out 56-18 winners and set up a clash of two former Huddersfield coaches, Tony Smith and Hull's John Kear, in the final at Cardiff's Millennium Stadium on Saturday, April 27.

But for an hour of yesterday's second Galpharm semi, the match was actually closer-fought than the Hull-St Helens all-Super League clash 24 hours earlier.

Leeds' 10-try triumph was anything but routine as Toulouse led 4-0 and 10-6 and were still only 22-18 adrift at half-time thanks largely to the efforts of a traffic warden.

There was never any serious doubt that Leeds would eventually set up an all-Yorkshire final.

But the plucky Frenchmen made fools of the doom merchants who predicted a record semi-final scoreline.

"It was very tough, especially in the first half," admitted Rhinos loose-forward Gareth Ellis.

"We expected that. It was a massive game for them as well as us and the way they played showed that.

"We made a lot of mistakes but the key was to stay focused and keep our composure because we knew we are a good team.

"They have some very impressive players and they exposed us in parts of the game so there are things we will have to work on."

Creative Australian half-backs Dave Mulhall and James Wynne were the Rhinos' tormentors in chief while the French outfit provided the man of the match in forceful second rower Sebastien Raguin, who could be set to swap his day job as a traffic warden for a full-time Super League contract.

Tries from Wynne, Raguin and Adrien Viala kept Toulouse in contention up to the break and, while they naturally tired in the second half, their never-say-die attitude earned them the admiration of the Leeds fans in a 10,553 crowd.

Class, of course, told in the end as the Rhinos ran in second-half tries through Marcus Bai, Mark Calderwood, Danny McGuire, Rob Burrow, Chev Walker and Willie Poching to add to first-half efforts from McGuire, Ellis, Chris McKenna and Ali Lauitiiti.

Burrow kicked eight goals from nine attempts and would have equalled Frano Botica's semi-final record of 22 points had he not given veteran Barrie McDermott the chance to land the final goal, a task that proved beyond the popular prop.

But McDermott will have the opportunity to mark his final season with a fourth Challenge Cup final appearance while the 24-year-old Ellis will be making his first as the Rhinos seek to complete a hat trick.

"I came here to play in big games and this was my first-ever semi-final," said Ellis.

"The performance was not pretty but I am so glad to have won. I am now really excited about playing at Cardiff.

"We are a special team and the sky is the limit for us, as long as we stick together, keep training well, keep improving and take things one match at a time."