Barrow 16 Huddersfield Giants 30: Ian Watson relieved to avoid Cup upset

Exciting winger Tee Ritson scored two spectacular tries to keep the Raiders in touch and, when second rower Jarrad Stack added a third on 57 minutes to bring his side to within six points, a giantkilling act was on the cards.

But scrum-half Oliver Russell’s penalty put the Super League team two scores in front and a last-minute try from centre Innes Senior completed a 30-16 victory that earns the Giants a home quarter-final with Hull FC.

“You are always a little bit nervous,” Watson said. “I come from a Championship background and I know what Championship teams are like. When they get a sniff, they don’t give up, they just keep going like Barrow did today.

“We had to come up with some good answers. I was nervous but a lot of credit has got to go to Barrow. They’ve got part-time players but their performance highlighted the quality of the Championship and the quality within Barrow. I thought they were outstanding.

“I thought we started the game really well and with the right mentality and I think that won us the game to be fair.

Watson made seven changes to the side that lost in the league to Hull, with full-back Tui Lolohea failing a fitness test on a dead leg before kick-off.

“We weren’t planning to run that way but there were a few niggles and we looked after a couple of players because we’ve got four games in 10 days coming up very shortly,” he said.

“So the aim was to get in and get it done, get the win and get out.”

Barrow: Brooks, B. Carter, Crellin, Cresswell, Emslie, Forster, Gillam, Hopkins, Iaria, Johnston, Kelly, Miloudi, Morrow. Substitutes: Mossop, Ritson, Sammut, Stack, Terrill, S. Toal, Wheeler, Wood.

Huddersfield: McGillvary, Leutele, Golding, Lolohea, Levi, Lawrence, Yates, English, Greenwood, Trout, Ikahihifo, O’Brien, Wilson. Substitutes: Cudjoe, L. Senior, Russell, I. Senior, Mason, Ashworth, Hewitt, Roby.

Referee: Marcus Griffiths (RFL).