Hull FC 2-55 Huddersfield Giants: Adam O'Brien, Darnell McIntosh and Jermaine McGillvary doubles help secure Magic Weekend win
By Marc Bazeley at Anfield
Last Updated: 25/05/19 7:47pm
Darnell McIntosh, Adam O'Brien and Jermaine McGillvary helped Huddersfield Giants score a 55-2 win over Hull FC at Anfield on Saturday.
Two tries apiece from the trio helped the Giants bring Hull back down to earth with a bump in the second match of Super League's Magic Weekend.
Hull went into the match no doubt buoyed by last Saturday's 19-12 victory over second-placed Warrington Wolves, but scores from Joe and Jake Wardle, plus efforts from hooker O'Brien and full-back McIntosh, helped the Giants into a 21-2 lead at the interval.
Huddersfield carried on where they left off after the break, with O'Brien and McIntosh adding to their tally, and McGillvary bagging two tries as Huddersfield became the third team to rack up more than 50 points against Hull in 2019.
Hull were quick to apply pressure from the get-go after a knock-on by McGillvary led an early scrum, but it was the Giants who took the lead on six minutes somewhat against the run of play.
The breakthrough came when Huddersfield made big gains from a 20-metre restart, Oliver Russell chipped the ball over the top of the Hull defence and Joe Wardle chased through to get it down over the line, with Russell kicking the conversion as well.
Hull shook off that early setback though and a 40-20 kick from Marc Sneyd put them within striking distance, only for Sneyd's half-back partner Albert Kelly to knock-on while stretching for the line.
The Giants made the most of the opportunity to attack and good pressure from McGillvary on the Hull defence forced a drop-out.
Then Huddersfield worked the ball out to left, with Innes Senior throwing a perfectly-timed one-handed pass back inside for the younger Wardle sibling to put his side 10 points ahead on 17 minutes.
Hull kept probing, yet could not find a way to unlock the defence of their Yorkshire rivals. Then when Mark Minichiello gave away a penalty for a high tackle, it led to hooker O'Brien scooting in under the posts and Russell converting in the 29th minute after Ukuma Ta'ai had been halted just short.
Huddersfield were now making significant inroads seemingly every time they got the ball in hand and they were in for a fourth try four minutes before half time when McIntosh decided to go alone with winger Senior outside him and crashed through.
Russell was unable to convert, but did slot over a drop-goal from just under 30 metres out to edge the Giants further ahead. At the other end, Sneyd got the Black and Whites on the board in the final act of the half with a penalty kick.
There was no let-up from Huddersfield when play resumed though and, after getting two repeat sets following a drop-out and a knock-on, O'Brien was in again on 46 minutes in similar fashion to his first try - with Russell again adding the extras.
A lack of composure at key moments was proving costly for Hull and when a knock on close to the Giants' line followed by a penalty allowed their opponents to march swiftly up field, they were duly punished when McInitosh crashed through for a converted score eight minutes later.
The Giants, on the other hand, almost seemed able to score at will and took their try-tally for the match to seven when Alex Mellor found a way through on 58 minutes and that was followed six minutes later by Aaron Murphy sending flying winger McGillvary away for his 13th try of the season.
The England international returned the favour for Murphy and then took Huddersfield past the half-century mark with his second of the match late on, with Russell kicking two more conversions.
Match reaction
Two-try hero Darnell McIntosh's inspirational display earned him the man of the match honours in a big win for Huddersfield Giants.
