WARRINGTON WOLVES 30 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 40
GREG NIXON, Halliwell Jones Stadium, Sunday
AMELIA BROWN scored a hat-trick of tries as Huddersfield overcame a determined Warrington.
The England international’s touch of class was the difference in the second half of a game that had been in the balance until Wire winger Kerrie-Rose Evans saw yellow for her part in a mass brawl on the hour mark.
With Wire down to twelve, the Giants took advantage, running in two tries to finally break the home side’s resistance.
Ex-Giant Hannah Goddard opened the scoring on seven minutes after the ball was worked to the left following a strong run by Gracie Bradshaw. Emma Knowles fell agonisingly short with the conversion.
But with Warrington seemingly in control, errors started to creep in and the Giants took full advantage.
First, Emily Downes knocked on at the play-the-ball and scrum-half Sam Hulme danced through to score by the posts, also adding the extras.
When Sydney Alderman-Smith failed to deal with the restart, Lois Naidole pounced on the loose ball to push the visitors further ahead.
And just moments later Faye Barraclough showed a clean pair of heels to outpace the defence out wide on the left. Hulme’s conversion took the score to 16-4 for the Giants with barely 15 minutes gone.
The home side showed a grit and determination that deserted them towards the end of last season, first through Evans getting the first of her brace on 20 minutes, then Bound burrowing over from dummy-half.
Evans added her second on the half-hour mark after a kick from Hollie Gregory had been fumbled to take Wire into the break 18-16 in front.
Despite a strong start to the second half, it was another mistake – this time from Jessica Panayiotou in her own 20 – that led to Brown powering through the defence to open her account. Hulme added the extras.
Both sides traded converted tries from Goddard and Brown before Evans was sin-binned. Mollie Iceton and then Brown, again, eased the score out to 24-40.
There was still time for the Wire to grab a consolation with a long-range effort from winger Isabelle Malyon, marking her debut in style.
WOLVES: 5 Sydney Alderman-Smith, 2 Kerrie-Rose Evans, 12 Gracie Bradshaw, 4 Hannah Goddard, 21 Isabelle Malyon, 1 Hollie Gregory, 7 Emma Knowles, 8 Ellie Dooney, 9 Dani Bound, 15 Helena Turner, 11 Emily Downs, 3 Olivia Argent, 13 Millie Bell. Subs (all used): 10 Megan Condliffe, 24 Jessica Panayiotou, 17 Albany Coates, 22 Chelsea Newton.
Tries: Goddard (7, 55), Evans (20, 29), Bound (25), Malyon (79); Goals: Knowles 3/6; Sin bin: Evans (62) – fighting
GIANTS: 1 Amelia Brown, 21 Faye Barraclough, 3 Lois Naidole, 4 Fran Copley, 5 Mollie Iceton, 16 Rebekah Grady, 7 Sam Hulme, 14 Gracie Hobbs, 9 Megan Preston, 10 Jess Harrap, 20 Amy Bennett, 25 Madison Hutchison, 13 Bethan Oates. Subs (all used): 24 Freya Whitehead, 23 Grace Burnett, 22 Skye Jackson, 17 Ellie Thompson.
Tries: Hulme (10), Naidole (12), Barraclough (15), Brown (42, 60, 71), Iceton (65); Goals: Hulme 6/7
SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 4-6, 4-10, 4-16, 8-16, 14-16, 18-16; 18-22, 24-22, 24-28, 24-34, 24-40, 30-40
Half-time: 18-16
