Castleford 18-36 St Helens: Barba shines for Saints

Ben Barba runs in for a try.

Ben Barba starred as St Helens took a step closer to Wembley with a 36-18 win over Castleford in the sixth round of the Ladbrokes Challenge Cup.

The Australian full-back scored three tries - to add to his Super League tally of 15 - and created two others as Saints helped erase the memory of their humiliating 53-10 defeat at Castleford in last year's corresponding tie.

The Tigers did not perform too badly and only two long-range tries, both against the run of play, separated the teams at half-time - but they were still to recapture their sparkle of 2017.

Barba reacted smartly to get winger Regan Grace away for the opening try after 15 minutes, collecting the ball from Jamie Ellis' kick five metres from his own line.

St Helens' Danny Richardson runs in for a try.

The Australian repeated the feat nine minutes before half-time, pouncing on a loose ball in virtually the same position on the field and this time went on his own, holding off a spirited chase from winger Jy Hitchcox to touch down at the corner.

Richardson kicked one conversion and a penalty to provide the other points of the first half as Saints led 12-0 and the game was quickly put beyond the hosts early in the second.

The visitors gained possession from the kick-off when Richardson's re-start went dead and, after Dominique Peyroux had been tackled short of the line, Barba stretched out of a two-man tackle to plant the ball on it for his second try.

Richardson's third goal increased his side's lead to 18-0 but substitute Jacob Trueman grabbed a lifeline for Castleford when he evaded the tackle of Morgan Knowles to score a solo try after 47 minutes.

Barba then drew two defenders and sent centre Ryan Morgan through a gap for Saints' fourth try four minutes later before the Tigers struck again, creating an overlap for right winger Greg Minikin to take Michael Shenton's pass and cross at the corner.

Louie McCarthy Scarsbrook is tackled by Castleford's Paul McShane and Matt Cook.

Ellis kicked a second conversion, this time from the touchline, but the Saints' lead was never seriously threatened and Richardson capped a superb individual performance with a solo try after 62 minutes to put more daylight between the sides.

Barba then added the icing to Saints' cake by wrong-footing a host of defenders to complete his hat-trick before England second rower Mike McMeeken scored a consolation last-minute try for the hosts.