Match report: Giants 24 Saints 14

Aug 10 2009 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Brett Hodgson

HEROIC Huddersfield Giants have booked a dream Wembley final appearance!

Coach Nathan Brown’s brave battlers produced another epic defensive display to earn a Challenge Cup final date with Warrington Wolves on August 29.

And if the Giants can match the form they showed to inflict the first Cup defeat on Saints for over three years, their name will be on the famous old trophy for the first time in 56 years.

As well as putting in an awesome defensive display, they also took their attacking chances with a fine clinical edge as they underlined why they are Super League’s form side.

That was something that was clear right from the opening encounters, with the Giants making the most positive of starts to the contest.

With former Saints prop Keith Mason driving in powerfully and Luke Robinson’s darting runs continually catching the Cup holders off guard, Huddersfield wasted little time making their intentions clear.

Within three minutes they were desperately unlucky not to have taken the lead when Robinson burst through and linked with Brett Hodgson and Liam Fulton to find Jamahl Lolesi, who just failed to find a way over on the last tackle.

But two minutes later they were not to be denied.

The ball was worked quickly to the right for Leroy Cudjoe to find space on the inside, make ground and slip the ball back inside for Brett Hodgson to finish off.

Somewhat surprisingly, the captain failed to add the conversion, but it still failed to take the gloss off what was a dream start.

Yet such is the Cup strength of their opponents that it was no great surprise when St Helens weathered the storm and began to fight their way back.

And by the 13th minute they had drawn level.

After being handed a repeat set, Saints worked the ball out wide for Francis Meli to squeeze in at the corner for a try which Kyle Eastmond was unable to convert.

Only desperate Giants defence then prevented the Super League leaders from taking the lead for the first time, with Leon Pryce held up over the tryline.

That scare appeared to be exactly what Huddersfield needed to get their challenge back on track, and with five minutes of the half remaining, coach Nathan Brown’s men hit the front for a second time.

This time it was Kevin Brown who made it possible, bursting out of Paul Clough’s attempted tackle inside his own half and releasing the supporting Paul Whatuira to make further ground.

He then drew the covering Meli and slipped the pass to Stephen Wild to race over for Hodgson to add the extras and make it 10-4.

Eastmond almost broke through in the fifth minute of injury time, but was denied by another superb defensive effort by Brett Hodgson and Co.