York Valkyrie finish home campaign with 48-10 rout of Huddersfield

Lindsay Anfield’s side had triumphed 50-10 in the reverse fixture back in May, and it again proved to be one way traffic as they closed out their home campaign in style ahead of tricky trips to title rivals Leeds Rhinos and Wigan Warriors over the coming weeks.

Eboni Partington broke the deadlock with 11 minutes played, kick-starting a burst for the Valkyrie, with Liv Wood and influential full-back Tara Jane Stanley both adding their names to the scoresheet before the half reached its midpoint.

Amelia Brown showed just why she is one of the brightest young prospects in the Betfred Women’s Super League with a superb solo effort in a rare moment of magic for the visitors, but they soon found themselves further behind.

Stanley added her second just before the half-hour, and there was still time for Carrie Roberts to touch down before the break - though she later pulled up with a shoulder injury.

Despite making a number of half-time changes, including the introduction of Renouf after a three-month injury layoff, York carried their momentum into the second half.

Megan Pakulis proved too strong from close range, with Renouf playing in Emma Kershaw to score into the right corner before squirming free from a handful of Huddersfield defenders to add her own name to the scoresheet.

Partington then rounded off York’s scoring with her 23rd try of the season but the last word belonged to the battling Giants, with interchange Chloe Fairbank scoring a consolation with three minutes left to play.

MATCH RECAP: York Valkyrie 48-10 Huddersfield Giants

Mahault Pommier made just a second start of the season alongside Lucy Eastwood in the halves, whilst Georgia Taylor was back in the second row.

But the real story was on the bench, with Renouf making her return after elbow surgery alongside the impressive Kelsey Gentles and young pair Jess Sharp and Lauren Exley.

Unforced errors were aplenty inside a closely contested opening, with Wood dropping the ball as she was tackled on the 30-metre line before Huddersfield centre Ana Da Silva knocked-on.

Stanley then lost possession after a hard-hitting tackle just outside the 10-metre line, but soon atoned, collecting a poor Giants kick and making it to the 40-metre line on the kick return.

That paved the way for York to open the scoring with 11 minutes played, Partington collecting Stanley’s cut-out pass and taking a couple of defenders with her across into the left corner.

Stanley’s touchline conversion cannoned back off the left-hand post, but she made no mistake from her next opportunity after Megan Pakulis had carved through the Giants defence.

Wood proved too strong and too powerful as she crashed onto a short ball before powering over just to the left of the posts, with the full-back unable to miss from the tee.

Two tries became three for the Valkyrie on 19 minutes, with nobody able to lay a hand on Stanley as she collected Frankie Townend’s kick on halfway before racing beneath the posts in a stunning solo effort.

Another successful conversion saw the Valkyrie race into a 16-point lead without reply.

Tara Jane Stanley was the standout. (Image: Craig Hawkhead Photography)

Huddersfield coughed up the game’s first penalty for holding on Gentles, who was a standout from the bench, but Eastwood could not keep hold of the ball as she looked to exploit a gap.

The Giants then lost half-back Sam Hulme to injury but did bring themselves onto the board with 25 minutes played, Brown collecting an offload before racing 30 metres down the right wing, with her pace no match for York’s covering defenders as she surged into the corner.

Ellie Thompson could not convert.

York though hit back almost instantaneously, with Stanley collecting an offload before selling Brown an outrageous dummy and crashing over just to the right of the posts.

Her successful conversion coincided with the introduction of Gentles for a second stint off the bench.

A cheap penalty presented Huddersfield with another opportunity to add points before the interval, but though they were able to advance towards the tryline with pace, their tackles eventually ran out well short.

Instead, it was a Giants error that saw the hosts deliver another hammer blow on the stroke of half time, as after Gentles had been caught high, Pommier found Roberts, who managed to turn a defender and score into the right corner to hand them a 24-6 lead at the hooter.

Stanley could not convert from the tee but had better luck from her next effort just two minutes after the restart, Pakulis proving too strong for the Huddersfield defence, who had been penalised for a high tackle deep within their own half.

And York had a seventh try of the afternoon with 49 minutes played, quick hands freeing Stanley, who delivered a looping cut-out pass for Kershaw to race across into the right corner.

Tamzin Renouf marked her return from elbow surgery with a try in the second half. (Image: Craig Hawkhead Photography)

The Valkyrie though continued to pile on the pressure, and after winning a goal-line drop-out, Renouf brushed off a couple of would-be tackles, driving backwards in-goal before finding space to reach out a hand to score.

Anfield’s side added their last points to the scoreboard with 15 minutes remaining, as after creating some fantastic shape on the left edge, Parker was able to reel in a poor cut-out pass before finding Partington, who cut between two defenders to dive across into the left corner.

Paige Webster was carried from the field with a nasty leg injury after a lengthy stoppage, but the Giants did not give up, and were rewarded with a second consolatory try with three minutes left to play as Fairbank crashed over from close range.

Thompson converted, but it was York who ran out resounding victors to secure their place in the play-offs.

YORK VALKYRIE: Stanley, Partington, Parker, Roberts, Kershaw, Pommier, Eastwood, Wood, Hetherington, Bell, Taylor, Andrade, Pakulis.

INTERCHANGES: Sharp, Renouf, Gentles, Exley

TRIES: Partington (11, 65), Wood (14), Stanley (19, 29), Roberts (38), Pakulis (42), Kershaw (49), Renouf (57)

GOALS: Stanley 6/9

HUDDERSFIELD GIANTS: Brown, Iceton, Da Silva, Moxon, Goddard, Townend, Hulme, Webster, Preston, Wilkinson, Hobbs, Naidole, Thompson

INTERCHANGES: Grady, Fairbank, Whitehead, Schofield

TRIES: Brown (25), Fairbank (77)

GOALS: Thompson 1/2

POINTS SEQUENCE: 4-0, 8-0, 10-0, 14-0, 16-0, 16-4, 20-4, 22-4, 26-4, 30-4, 32-4, 36-4, 40-4, 42-4, 46-4, 48-4, 48-8, 48-10

HALF TIME: 26-4

YORK’S STAR: Tara Jane Stanley. A starring performance from the full-back, who was at the heart of the Valkyrie's attacking play. A mention too for Kelsey Gentles, who made a real impact off the bench.

REFEREE: Liam Breheny