Challenge Cup Final: Huddersfield 12 St Helens 42

St Helens recovered from a shaky start to once again take the Challenge Cup, but in view of the results of recent weeks they didn't have it as easy as some may have predicted.  A fine performance from Sean Long, who claimed his third Lance Todd trophy, saw the favourites win by what eventually was a heavy margin.  Had the Giants capitalised on an excellent first twenty minutes though, the final analysis could have been very different.

Right from the kick off, the underdogs applied pressure.  Leon Pryce failed to collect the opening kick-off, and as it bounced off his knee the Giants looked to take advantage.  They camped in the Saints red zone.  Keiron Cunningham tried to carry the ball out of his own in-goal area but was set-upon by a mob of hyped-up Giants, who could only have been more menacing were they wearing hoodies.  Cunningham was unceremoniously dumped behind his line, and from the drop-out Giants attacked again.  Thorman's grubber kick looked dangerous, but a wonderful bit of goal-line defence from Paul Wellens saved a try.

The respite was temporary.  Two minutes later, Huddersfield were in front.  From forty metres out, Brad Drew broke the Saints' line and ran clear.  Martin Aspinwall was on hand to take the ball and dive over in the corner for the first points of the game.  De Vere's conversion made it 6-0.  Saints tried to settle things down in the aftermath, looking to hold on to possession as the Giants asserted a dominance both in that stat and in terms of territory.  Stephen Wild appeared to have turned possession over for the Giants, but ref Richard Silverwood ruled that the ball had been dead at the time it went free.

And then, shortly after the 20-minute mark, Saints were level.  A Sculthorpe grubber-kick bounced off Drew to give Willie Talau a run-in.  For all Giants' endeavour, Lyon's conversion meant honours were even.  For the next few minutes play went back and forth, until Saints broke dangerously down the right.  Ade Gardner was favourite to score until Paul O'Reilly made a perfectly-timed tackle to force him into touch.  A few more Saints thrusts were repelled but then, just as it looked that it may reach half-time with the teams all-square, Lyon broke wonderfully and then passed to Gardner.  Gardner released Sean Long and it was 12-6.  Had the chance gone for Huddersfield?

Yes.

It took less than five minutes for Saints to add their third try.  A forward burst from Maurie Fa'asavalu followed by an off-load to James Roby gave them a numerical advantage, and it was Jon Wilkin who capitalised.  Those would be the winning points.  Fa'asavalu, Wilkin and Lyon added further tries before a consolation score for Robbie Paul.  But Cayless' try reinstated the 30-point gap with seven minutes to go, and the Giants had to be content with the runners-up tag.  Now Huddersfield must steel themselves for a relegation battle.  If they can show the fight that they did at Twickenham, they'll be fine.