Huddersfield Giants v Saints

A dominant performance saw Saints beat Huddersfield 4-46 at the John Smith’s Stadium on Friday evening!

Four minutes in Saints had an opening. A loose pass on the last under the sticks found its way to Jack Welsby who put in a low kick which Huddersfield eventually put behind for a dropout down their right edge.

The visitors did take the lead from the restart though. Saints used up their set and on the last tackle, Welsby threw a great cut-out pass to Tristan Sailor on the wing and he dove over in the corner to open the scoring. George Whitby added the conversion from the right touchline, 0-6 Saints led.

Sailor had a second soon after. Taane Milne fumbled the ball on his line which gave Saints the ball in great field position. From the scrum the Red V went right and Jonny Lomax threw a cut-out pass to Sailor who raced away down the wing to score his second try. Whitby missed the conversion, 0-10.

We then had a trip to the video referee. Saints again moved downfield and Lomax put a kick into a dangerous position and Curtis Sironen looked to have been taken out chasing the ball. Milne was sin binned as a result of the incident, and Saints had a penalty ten metres out. The Red V were unable to take advantage of the extra set though, as Whitby’s high crossfield kick was plucked out of the air Jacob Gagai on the last tackle.

Minutes after, we had another trip upstairs. Lomax again put in a low kick down the left edge and Sironen chased again and this time looked to have dived onto the loose ball. After a quick review, the four-pointer was given. Whitby added the extras, 0-16.

With less than 13 minutes of the first half to go, Saints had another try. Whitby broke down the middle of the field before being tackled. The following play Saints went left and kept the ball alive, Morgan Knowles put in a kick which Welsby won the race to. Whitby converted, 0-22 Saints led.

Huddersfield’s only attacking threat of the first half came 35 minutes in. They opted to run the ball on the last tackle though and Saints forced the turnover.

With two minutes of the half to go, we had another trip to the video referee. Welsby escaped a tackle on the last and put in a kick, Lomax chased well and looked to have grounded the ball under the posts. After a lengthy review, the try was chalked off for a supposed knock on.

With fourteen seconds of the half left, Alex Walmsley was sent to the sin bin for trying to slow the play down with Saints camped on our own line. Huddersfield tried to shift it left with the final play but former Saint Adam Swift couldn’t collect the pass. Saints led 0-22 at the break in West Yorkshire after a dominant opening 40 minutes.

Saints tried to increase the lead at the start of the second half. On the last tackle, Lomax found Sironen near the Giants line but he was tackled on the last and the twelve-men were forced to turnover.

We then had another trip upstairs, this time for the home side. They Giants threw the ball from right to left, Tui Lolohea cut inside and looked to burrow his way over but some good covering defence from Saints held him up over the line.

It was the Red V who claimed the first points of the second half. Huddersfield’s kick on the last tackle was too strong, giving Saints a seven-tackle set. The visitors took the restart quick, Sailor found Welsby who raced 80 metres to score. Whitby converted, 0-28.

Huddersfield grabbed a consolation try just before the hour. They created an overlap down their right edge, Jake Bibby threw a dummy and cut through a gap to score in the corner. Saints challenged the call, but it was unsuccessful. Lolohea missed the kick, 4-28 they trailed.

Saints had a sixth try 64 minutes in. A Huddersfield error on their own line gifted the Red V possession ten metres out. The visitors shifted it left and Lewis Murphy finished acrobatically in the corner. Whitby nailed the touchline conversion, 4-34 Saints led.

Sironen had his second try of the evening quickly after. A 40/20 from Welsby directly from a scrum gave Saints good field position. The Red V used up a few tackles before Knowles found Siornen who breezed through a gap to score. Whitby converted, 4-40 Saints led.

There was still time for an eighth Red V try. Welsby spotted space ahead of him and exploited it to score his third of the night to the right of the sticks. Whitby added another two points 4-46.

Those were the final points of the evening, as Saints recorded a 4-46 victory over Huddersfield in West Yorkshire!

Match Summary

Huddersfield Giants Team: Tui Lolohea, Adam Swift, Taane Milne, Sam Halsall, Jacob Gagai, Adam Clune, Kieran Rush, George King, Zac Woolford, Joe Greenwood, Harry Rushton, Jake Bibby, Leroy Cudjoe.

Interchanges: Oliver Wilson, Tom Burgess, Sam Hewitt, Ashton Golding.

18th Man: Jack Bibby.

Tries: Jake Bibby (59)

Conversions: Tui Lolohea (0 from 1)

Sin Bin: Taane Milne (15)

Saints Team: Jack Welsby, Tristan Sailor, Mark Percival, Deon Cross, Lewis Murphy, George Whitby, Jonny Lomax, Alex Walmsley, Daryl Clark, George Delaney, Curtis Sironen, Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees.

Interchanges: Moses Mbye, Agnatius Paasi, Noah Stephens, Owen Dagnall.

18th Man: Jake Burns.

Tries: Tristan Sailor (5, 11), Curtis Sironen (18, 73), Jack Welsby (27, 55, 74), Lewis Murphy (64)

Conversions: George Whitby (7 from 8)

Sin Bin: Alex Walmsley (40)

HT: 0-22

FT: 4-46

Attendance: 4,029