Match report: Huddersfield Giants 26 - 20 Leeds Rhinos

Mar 15 2010 by Chris Roberts, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

Giants v Rhinos match report

HUDDERSFIELD Giants have proved beyond doubt they are now a major Super League force.

Last season’s highest-ever third place Super League finish proved coach Nathan Brown’s men were making Giants strides.

But even though they were winning many new admirers, the fact the Giants were unable to secure League victories over leaders Leeds and second-placed St Helens had taken some of the gloss off their magnificent achievements.

Not any more!

After three top-flight triumphs and two other close calls in Super League XV, the Giants claimed their biggest scalp – the reigning Super League champions.

And apart from a brief spell just before the break when Leeds ran in three tries, this was a victory that was thoroughly deserved.

Although they edged the Rhinos four tries to three, the home side created far more chances than their illustrious guests, and with smarter finishing could have taken the honours by a far more handsome margin.

The opening exchanges didn’t bode well, with Michael Lawrence forced off with an injury to his left ankle after just three minutes.

But the Giants’ response couldn’t have been more impressive as they raced in for two superb quickfire tries to lead 12-0 after just 13 minutes.

First to strike was lively hooker Shaun Lunt, who followed up a mazy David Fa’alogo run to race in from 15m.

Leroy Cudjoe made no mistake with the conversion, and was then on target just two minutes later after a second, even more impressive score.

It was Luke Robinson’s pass that gave Fa’alogo the chance to break for try No1, but on the second occasion it was the scrum half’s clever kick over the defence that was critical.

The alert Cudjoe read exactly what Robinson was doing and raced forward to kick superbly to the left for Lee Gilmour to collect and charge over for a stunning try that the boys at Town would have been proud to execute.

At that stage it was all one-way traffic, and with Leeds winger Kallum Watkins having to hobble off, it looked as if it wasn’t to be the Rhinos’ day, but in the final 12 minutes the tide began to turn dramatically.

In the 28th minute Jamie Peacock drove to the line and fed Rob Burrow to finish off and then add the conversion.

Stephen Wild should have marked his first game of the season with a 36th-minute try, but he failed to hold on to Fa’alogo’s pass.

And the visitors took full advantage.