Crusaders 32 Huddersfield Giants 6: Giants pay price for struggling to cope at Crusaders

Only a week ago, the Crusaders were savaged by over 60 points at Warrington but yesterday they looked more like the in-form team than the Giants, who came to Wrexham full of confidence after back-to-back victories over Warrington and Leeds Rhinos.

The Crusaders got off to the perfect start when second-rower Jason Chan shrugged off two tacklers to barge his way over for an unconverted try on four minutes.

Rhys Hanbury went over for the Crusaders’ second score and then full-back Clinton Schifcofske went past a couple of tacklers to touch down on 30 minutes.

Just before the interval, Hep Cahill went over on the left wing.

The Giants responded at once to their situation aftrer the break as a kick over the Crusaders’ goal line saw the ball played backwards, where Danny Brough was waiting to pounce.

Brough nearly got another when he just failed to latch onto another grubber kick as it went over the dead-ball line.

But the Crusaders countered and nearly got another try when Hanbury charged down a kick in the Yorkshiremen’s half only to see the ball run away from him with the line at his mercy.

They almost scored again from a breakaway along the right wing, only for Huddersfield’s desperate defending near their goal-line to deny home centre Tony Martin.

Finally, the Welshmen found the line when centre Vince Mellars put wing Jordan Tansey over and, with Huddersfield humbled, they extended the margin further as wing Stuart Reardon crossed with seven minutes to go.

Despite having Richard Moore sent to the sin-bin towards the end, it made no difference to the outcome for the Welshmen as the crowd sung their hearts out to herald a deserved and famous victory.

Afterwards, Brown made no excuses for his side’s performance.

“I think this is unlike a performance that we are used to,” said Brown.

“Most sides have one or two of these a year and today was definitely one for us.

“You have to give the opposition plenty of credit for the way they played.

“But if you don’t have attitude and commitment, there is always a chance that you are going to get beaten – no matter who you are playing.”

Crusaders: Schifcofske, Reardon, Martin, Mellars, Tansey, Witt, Hanbury, O’Hara, White, Moore, Cahill, Chan, Lupton. Substitutes: Bryant, Sammut, James, Winternstein.

Huddersfield Giants: Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Lawrence, Simpson, Brown, Brough, Crabtree, Robinson, Griffin, Gilmour, Fa’alogo, Horne. Substitutes: Faiumu, Lunt, Patrick, Kirmond.

Referee: S Ganson (St Helens).