Huddersfield Giants demolish Featherstone Rovers to advance to Challenge Cup quarter-finals

FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 8 HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 36
CALLUM WALKER, Millennium Stadium, Friday

HUDDERSFIELD marched into the Challenge Cup final eight with a dominant performance over Featherstone, inspired by hat-trick hero Mollie Iceton.

Iceton lived up to her name – cool, calm and collected – as she dotted down three times in challenging circumstances to ensure the Giants progressed as runners-up from Group Two.

With both sides losing out to York in their opening games, this was a straight shoot-out to progress to the quarter-finals and an away tie with Leeds.

Despite the scoreline, Rovers started the brighter of the two sides, with Brogan Churm showing some nice touches whilst Hannah Watt was held up over the line.

So it was slightly against the run of play when Huddersfield took the lead on eleven minutes – but it was a silky piece of play.

Fran Copley charged down the left before offloading to the supporting Iceton and the Giants winger burned fullback Angel Bentley on the outside for a scintillating score. Ellie Thompson couldn’t convert but the visitors led 4-0.

Featherstone, relegated from Super League last year without a win, were their own worst enemies at times with numerous handling errors pinning the home side in their own half, and the gulf in class was obvious when the Giants had the ball.

A superb kick from Sam Hulme laid the platform for Iceton to jump out of dummy-half and offload to Amelia Brown, who had enough pace to streak under the posts. This time Thompson converted for a 10-0 lead.

Iceton and Brown combined once more on the half-hour in what would have been a stunning effort, but the former knocked-on.

The Rovers defence couldn’t stand much more pressure, though, and after Jess Harrap went close, her pass allowed Millie Taylor to crash over. Thompson’s conversion made it 16-0 at half-time.

It’s fair to say that the Giants continued where they left off in the first half – on the front foot – as Iceton grabbed her second in the corner following good hands on the inside. A sublime touchline conversion from Thompson sent Huddersfield 22-0 up.

Hulme almost followed up her own kick to dot down moments later, but the halfback could only knock-on. And Rovers punished that mistake when Jasmine Hazell proved unstoppable on a determined drive to the line. Dani Waters somehow missed from in front with the hosts now 18 behind.

But it was normal service resumed with twelve minutes remaining, Iceton somehow grounding the ball in the corner after Frankie Townend had sent out a glorious looping pass.

Thompson couldn’t convert, but she was on target when Lois Naidole backed up an inviting Hulme chip and handed off Bentley for a fine effort.

As the rain teemed down, Thompson lost a high ball and Featherstone notched a consolation score through a determined Emillie Holmes drive. Liv Grace took over the kicking duties with Waters off the field, but she couldn’t convert either.

And in keeping with the rest of the game, Huddersfield had the last laugh, Naidole smashing through another hole in the Rovers defence to beat Bentley to the line.

GAMESTAR: Mollie Iceton registered a hat-trick and was involved in numerous bits of good play.

GAMEBREAKER: Iceton’s second just after half-time sent Huddersfield into an unassailable 22-0 lead.

MATCHFACTS
ROVERS
1 Angel Bentley
16 Liv Howarth
3 Chloe Billington
4 Grace Firth
5 Shavon Craven
6 Dani Waters
7 Liv Grace
8 Gabrielle Harrison
9 Charley Blackburn
10 Emillie Holmes
11 Katie Evans
17 Hannah Watt
13 Brogan Churm
Subs (all used)
14 Alyssa Courtney
20 Brogan Kennedy
22 Jasmine Hazell
23 Tilly Churm

Tries: Hazell (54), Holmes (77)
Goals: Waters 0/1, Grace 0/1

GIANTS
1 Amelia Brown
2 Mollie Iceton
4 Fran Copley
17 Ellie Thompson
5 Tilly Davies
6 Becky Grady
7 Sam Hulme
14 Gracie Hobbs
27 Millie Taylor
10 Jess Harrap
3 Lois Naidole
18 Eva Izumi
25 Maddy Hutchison
Subs (all used)
6 Frankie Townend
11 Katy Fisher
22 Skye Jackson
23 Grace Burnett