42-16

: Sat Apr 04, 2009 5:49 pm

In-form Huddersfield Giants cruised into the fifth round of the Carnegie Challenge Cup with a 42-16 hammering of Harlequins to extend their impressive away record to nine wins in a row.

Quins were hoping to use their 46-6 engage Super League mauling at the Galpharm Stadium as extra motivation but instead were handed another lesson in smother defence and clinical finishing.

Huddersfield were beaten finalists in 2006 and, on this form, will fancy their chances of going one better this year.

It was fairly predictable from the moment the scheming Kevin Brown got prop Keith Mason over for the first of eight tries on six minutes and skipper Brett Hodgson kicked the first of four goals.

Harlequins were briefly level, courtesy of a 20th-minute try from rampaging second rower Tony Clubb, but they struggled to unlock an impressive Giants defence and their danger was restricted to the tactical kicking of half-backs Danny Orr and Luke Dorn.

Full-back Hodgson was a constant thorn in the Quins defence but it was scrum-half Luke Robinson who put the visitors on control of the tie.

He jinked his way over a soft solo score on 24 minutes and five minutes later combined with Brown to get winger David Hodgson over his first try.

Substitute Eorl Crabtree, who was a handful for the home defence in his brief bursts, had a try disallowed for a forward pass but the Giants crucially scored a fourth try through second rower Stephen Wild on the stroke of half-time after the ever-probing Brett Hodgson handled twice in a sparkling move.

Trailing 24-6 at the break, any hope Harlequins had of getting back into the tie disappeared with a minute when Huddersfield regained possession from the kick-off and centre Paul Whatuira passed skilfully out of the tackle for David Hodgson to collect his second try.

Robinson then scored his second try, the result of a trademark run at the Quins defence, to extend the Giants’ lead to 32-6 before Harlequins staged a spirited rally.

Right winger Chris Melling came inside to send prop Karl Temata over for a consolation try and skipper Rob Purdham carved out one for centre David Howell but Huddersfield finished strongly with two more tries in the last six minutes.

A storming run from Crabtree set up the position for Whatuira to coast over and Wild broke clear to send Brett Hodgson over, with David Hodgson taking over the goalkicking to land the final conversion.