HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS 38 FEATHERSTONE ROVERS 4
STEPHEN IBBETSON, Laund Hill, Saturday

STAR player Amelia Brown scored a hat-trick as Huddersfield comfortably saw off Featherstone – while there was also a treble for young Madison Clegg.

The Academy player, once of Leeds, was selected on the wing for her first game of the season and only her third in the senior team.

By half-time she had three tries to her name, having helped fire Huddersfield into a 28-4 lead.

England international Brown then added two second-half tries to one in the first to complete both her own hat-trick and the Giants’ second win of the campaign, which puts them level on points with fourth-placed York.

Tegan Sant, another Academy player being given a run in the side at halfback, scored the other of their seven tries, and successfully converted five of them for a 14-point haul.

Featherstone only troubled the scoreboard through an unconverted try in the 29th minute by centre Dani Waters.

By that stage Rovers, who remain on two points after five rounds, were already trailing by 22 points.

Clegg opened the home scoring inside four minutes via a kick, followed by two length-of-the-field tries which shattered Featherstone’s spirits.

Fullback Brown got the first off a kick return, then Sant made an intercept to race across Laund Hill.

Sant turned provider for Clegg’s second try, then the winger completed her trio of tries in spectacular fashion two minutes from half-time by stepping round the defence from halfway.

Rovers rallied in the second half without any scoring success, the only tries being two from Brown – the latter another impressive show of pace from inside her own half.

GIANTS: 1 Amelia Brown, 2 Faye Barraclough, 3 Elle Frain, 4 Fran Copley, 28 Madison Clegg, 26 Liv Gale, 30 Tegan Sant, 8 Gracie Hobbs, 9 Meg Preston, 14 Jess Harrap, 29 Charlotte McDaid, 12 Maddy Hutchison, 17 Kacy Haley. Subs (all used): 7 Sam Hulme, 20 Leah Mae Beckett, 31 Erin Andersson, 33 Olivia Screene

Tries: Clegg (4, 21, 38), Brown (10, 63, 70), Sant (16); Goals: Sant 5/7

ROVERS: 19 Beth Macmillan, 18 Ash Prescott, 13 Dani Waters, 4 Lydia Fawkes, 5 Shavon Craven, 29 Cerys Gregory, 7 Liv Grace, 8 Katie Evans, 6 Charley Blackburn, 15 Aaliyah Brewster, 11 Tilly Churm, 16 Kacey Davies, 10 Emillie Holmes. Subs (all used): 3 Chloe Billington, 12 Brogan Churm, 14 Gabby Harrison, 17 Brogan Kennedy

Tries: Waters (29); Goals: Waters 0/1

SCORING SEQUENCE: 4-0, 10-0, 16-0, 22-0, 22-4, 28-4; 32-4, 38-4

Half-time: 28-4; Referee: Tom Bell