McGillvary points Giants towards an impressive victory

McGillvary scored one try and had another chalked off by the video referee as the Giants inflicted the first defeat of the season on Rob Powell’s men.

The Giants were on the front foot first and twice inside the opening five minutes Leroy Cudjoe was denied a try by the video referee. On the first occasion the centre was adjudged to have fallen just short as he went to ground the ball, with a faint knock on costing him the second time around.

Having been given a let-off, the hosts were a catch away from taking the lead themselves moments later, Luke Gale creating a gap only for his offload to Rob Purdham to go to ground.

With both sides strong in the tackle, the opening 10 minutes fairly flew by with the scoreboard untouched.

Neither side looked likely to make a mistake, with both Quins and the Giants content to take their sets and play for territory.

The deadlock was finally broken on the 15-minute mark, the hosts spreading the ball wide, allowing Purdham to feed Karl Pryce who had the simplest task of cantering over in the corner.

It was no-frills stuff from the hosts, who in the main were keeping Huddersfield at arm’s length without really looking like increasing their lead.

But all that changed after 25 minutes, the visitors forcing the home side back with some pressure, with Luke O’Donnell taking a simple pass from Shaun Lunt to crash over and give the Giants the lead.

Suddenly the visitors had a spring in their step and they moved further ahead just after the half-hour, McGillvary taking a superb lofted pass from Kevin Brown to dart over in the corner.

Quins were struggling to get anything going attack-wise, with Chris Melling bundled into touch on a rare foray forward.

But the hosts did get a break just before the hooter, Brown denied a try by the video referee after two would-be Quins tacklers were blocked out of the way.

McGillvary got the visitors on the front foot straight away after the break, claiming Chad Randall’s kick and charging up field, setting up a Giants move that saw David Hodgson spill the ball as he looked to dive over in the corner.

Graeme Horne was to ensure that mishap was soon forgotten though, taking a pass from David Fa’alogo to stroll over at the posts as the Quins defence fell apart.

Only a desperate tackle from Chad Randall then stopped Brown from getting over as the Giants looked to put the game to bed.

Still Huddersfield poured forward, McGillvary winning the race to a neat kick through only to spill the ball in the act of grounding.

Melling added a late effort for the hosts but it was too little, too late.

Harlequins: Dorn, O’Callaghan, Clubb, Howell, Melling, Gale, Randall, Wilkes, Ellis, Ward, Purdham, Burnett, Bailey. Substitutes: Ambler, Temata, Pryce, Koupartisas.

Huddersfield Giants: Grix, McGillvary, Cudjoe, Gilmour, Hodgson, Brown, Brough, Crabtree, Faiumu, Griffin, Molloy, Fa’alogo, O’Donnell. Substitutes: Lunt, Patrick, Horne, Ferguson.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).