ST HELENS 62 CATALANS DRAGONS 4
LORRAINE MARSDEN, Brewdog Stadium, Sunday

ST HELENS ran in twelve tries in a dominant performance against Catalans to confirm a home Women’s Challenge Cup quarter-final against Barrow.

The Saints backs did much of the damages with both wingers – Leah Burke and Dani McGifford crossing for hat-tricks.

The French side ran Huddersfield close for the full 80 minutes last weekend, but were outplayed and outmuscled from the start here, with Emily Rudge, McGifford (twice) and Amy Hardcastle scoring in the opening 20 minutes to put the hosts in a commanding 20-0 lead.

Catalans struggled to get any sort of foothold in the game and the Saints juggernaut kept on rolling, with further first-half tries by Burke and Vicky Whitfield, before McGifford chased a kick to the left corner to complete her hat-trick and make it 36-0 at the break.

Even though the game was already won, there was no let-up for Saints after the restart, and it took them just four minutes to add to their score when Hardcastle spotted a gap to claim her second of the afternoon.

Katie Mottershead and Alyx Bridge were next to cross before Margot Canal pulled a consolation score back for the visitors.

But Saints had the final say through two further Burke scores, the latter converted by Faye Gaskin for her seventh goal of the game.

SAINTS: 1 Rebecca Rotheram, 5 Leah Burke, 4 Amy Hardcastle, 3 Rachael Woosey, 25 Dani McGifford, 6 Zoe Harris, 7 Faye Gaskin, 11 Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth, 17 Caitlin Casey, 16 Erin McDonald, 14 Paige Travis, 12 Emily Rudge, 13 Jodie Cunningham. Subs (all used): 8 Vicky Whitfield, 9 Katie Mottershead, 20 Alyx Bridge, 21 Hollie Bawden

Tries: Rudge (5), McGifford (9, 17, 37), Hardcastle (14, 44), Burke (28, 66, 79), Whitfield (33), Mottershead (47), Bridge (54); Goals: Gaskin 7/12

DRAGONS: 1 Chloe Abellanet, 2 Kaina Absi, 3 Elisa Akpa, 4 Louane Baby, 5 Louane Henrion, 6 Tessa Benmalek, 7 Margot Canal, 8 Solene Dagues, 9 Talia Dunemann, 10 Anais Gau, 11 Lison Gaurat, 12 Mazarine Jammet, 13 Sarah Menaa. Subs (all used): 14 Pauline Noe, 15 Ines Piguillem, 16 Fanny Ramos, 17 Marilou Raynaud

Tries: Canal (63); Goals: Absi 0/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 6-0, 10-0, 16-0, 20-0, 26-0, 32-0, 36-0; 42-0, 46-0, 52-0, 52-4, 56-4, 62-4

Half-time: 36-0