Richard Hercock: Cup draw repeat brings back marvellous Wembley memories

But that's exactly where my mind wandered after this week's Challenge Cup fourth-round draw pulled out some mouth-watering ties.

Many of the headlines obviously picked out the encounter between Hull FC and Leeds Rhinos – a repeat of the 2005 final between the pair when John Kear's side triumphed.

But it was not the only tie which saw two old final combatants paired against each other. Sheffield Eagles caused one of the biggest shocks in Challenge Cup history when they beat the mighty Wigan 17-8 in 1998.

The Eagles may have been a founder member of Super League in 1996, taking part in the first game of the Super League era against Paris Saint Germain, but rugby league had struggled to capture the imagination of people in South Yorkshire.

Current Leeds chief executive Gary Hetherington launched the Sheffield club in 1984, and May 2, 1998 will always go down as the greatest day in the history of the Eagles. Having beaten Leigh, Egremont, Castleford and Salford, the Eagles faced Wigan at Wembley in the final of the Challenge Cup.

Wigan were clear favourites, boasting a side including the likes of Andy Farrell, Jason Robinson and Henry Paul.

In a twist, the Lance Todd Trophy man-of-the-match award went to Mark Aston, who is now the driving force behind the Don Valley club.

The likes of Aston and Daryl Powell were the cornerstones for Sheffield's emergence as a Super League presence, although here I have to confess an early allegiance. I went to my local comprehensive in the early Eighties where the only rugby offered was union. League was the stuff for teams like Bradford Northern, not us southern softies.

That was until one day Powell came to our school and conducted a few coaching sessions.

Now I was no Bill Beaumont, just a big lad whose scrummaging – or at least the ability to retain the ball when 10 pair of hands were trying to rip your fingers out of their sockets as others were trying to gouge, bite or scratch you – meant I was a first XV regular. I made it as far as county trials but that is where my honours quest ended.

But I remember being invited down to the Eagles to play a game of touch rugby at half-time when they played at Owlerton dog track.

Suffice to say, I suddenly discovered that rucks and mauls were not too useful in rugby league and there was never to be a switch in codes.

But the Eagles have since then always had a soft spot in my sporting life. I was chuffed to bits when they beat Wigan at Wembley, choked when they merged with Huddersfield Giants in one of the game's worst decisions of all time.

Hearing this week's draw – which also sees the amateurs of Siddal face Batley Bulldogs and Dewsbury Rams host Bradford Bulls – had me reminiscing about that Wembley glory and the magnificent effort by Aston to keep league alive in Sheffield.

While there may not be as many folk at the fourth-round meeting compared to Wembley, it will be an occasion to remember what the Eagles achieved in such a short time and give Aston and his team the incentive to challenge once more for a place back in Super League.

While we are talking of the romance of the Cup, spare a thought for Siddal coach Lee Greenwood. His reward for seeing his side nil Doncaster is a draw against Batley, whom he plays for. At least he can look forward to being involved in the fifth round.