8 Aug 2021

Giants complete remarkable comeback

Huddersfield Giants (10) 22

Tries: Senior, Wood, McGillvary (2), Wardle

Goals: Pryce

Drop Goals:

Wakefield Trinity (18) 18

Tries: Westerman, Hampshire, Lyne

Goals: Hampshire (3)

Drop Goals: 

Huddersfield Giants: Ashall-Bott, Senior, Wardle, Cudjoe, McGillvary; Pryce, Russell; Yates, Peats, Wilson; McQueen, Jones; Trout

Interchanges: Hewitt, Peteru, Wood, Greenwood

Wakefield Trinity: Jowitt; Senior, Lyne, Arundel, Johnstone; Miller, Hampshire; Fifita, Kay, Green; Ashurst, Tanginoa; Westerman 

Interchanges: Wood, Batchelor, Battye, Arona

Huddersfield Giants completed a quite remarkable comeback, winning 22-18 despite going 18-0 down within the first 13 minutes against Wakefield Trinity

The Claret & Gold welcomed Joe Greenwood and Josh Jones back to a line-up, but Ashton Golding missed out and was replaced by Olly Ashall-Bott. Elsewhere, it was a familiar side with just three changes to the team that dispensed Castleford on Monday night. 

Huddersfield were on the back foot from as early in the game as the second minute, when Olly Russell was sent to the bin for ten for a professional foul. The visitors capitalised on this with two quick tries, courtesy of Reece Lyne and Ryan Hampshire while they had the man advantage. 

Soon after Russell returned, however, the Giants were further behind - with Joe Westerman crossing the whitewash to give the Giants a mountain to climb after just 13 minutes of action, with Hampshire perfect from the boot in the opening quarter. 

The Giants pushed back and found their way over for their first of the day thanks to a skillful tip from Jake Wardle to Louis Senior, but Oliver Russell drew too narrow with the conversion, and the lead was 14 points going into the final 20 of the half. 

Huddersfield would score again a few minutes before the end of the half in bizarre circumstances, as Innes Senior fumbled the ball in the in-goal under heavy pressure from the Giants defenders, and Sam Wood collected the loose ball to score. Pryce converted and the deficit at the half was just 8 points.

Watson's men started the first half brightly, and would get their rewarded after ten second half minutes with a well worked try finished by Jermaine McGillvary, moving through the side before another wonderful tipped pass found the winger, who's scored six in his last three games for the club.  

The two sides exchanged periods of pressure going into the final 20 minutes, but both sides had errors in them as well and looked somewhat rusty. The Giants, however, were able to take advantage of good field position and the man with the hot arm at the Giants, Jermaine McGillvary dived over again at the corner to level the scores with 20 left on the clock. Pryce narrowly missed the chance to put the Giants ahead but the momentum was well with the home side. 

Huddersfield went into the final eight minutes of the game full of confidence, and seemed to have the winds at their backs - but the all-important score to give the Giants lead was elusive until a well balanced kick from Sam Wood teed up Jake Wardle to touch down to give the Giants their first lead of the game. Will Pryce couldn't add the extras however, setting up a nervy finished in a topsy-turvy game, with the Giants retaining a four point lead into the closing stages. 

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