Huddersfield 26 Harlequins 16: Hemingway rises to the challenge as Giants triumph

Huddersfield blew Harlequins away in the second half at a blustery Galpharm Stadium to claim their first win since the sacking of Jon Sharp. The Giants, still without a permanent replacement as coach, were also lacking a specialist hooker and down to one fit half-back, so it was important that Tom Hemingway produced the goods at scrum half.

He did so impressively, with a skilled kicking game, including seven out of seven goals, and a workmanlike contribution against a Quins side that never approached the heights they reached in beating Leeds last week. "We've not been walking around on cloud nine, thinking we're the best team in Super League," insisted coach, Brian McDermott, although he admitted that his side might have been carrying the physical after effects of that huge effort.

"With the team we had out there, we could have rolled over and died," said their acting coach, Paul Anderson, who picked out Hemingway as one key contributor among many. "He's played the conditions very well and guided the team around the park," he said.

Quins scored the first try of the match when Tony Clubb stepped over from Chad Randall's pass, but Chris Melling's error allowed Michael Lawrence to reply. Hemingway's second difficult goal into the wind put the Giants four points ahead, but they trailed at half time after Karl Temata went over.

"But to be only two points down after playing into that wind was very pleasing," Anderson said. His team dominated after the break, with Hemingway kicking them level and Jamahl Lolesi's try.

Stuart Jones, doing a manful job as stand-in hooker, went in after an exchange of passes between Eorl Crabtree and Paul Whatuira and Huddersfield were home, even though Michael Worrincy got one back for Quins.

The Huddersfield board are yet to find a replacement coach. A result like this takes away the pressure of making a rushed appointment.

Huddersfield: Cudjoe, Aspinwall, Lawrence, Wild, Elford, Whatuira, Hemingway, Skandalis, Jones, Mason, Lolesi, Snitch, Raleigh. Substitutes used: Crabtree, Jensen, Kirmond, Brown.

Harlequins: Melling, Bryan, Clubb, Howell, Sharp, Hill, Orr, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Randall, Ward, Worrincy, Mbu, Paul. Substitutes used: Rinaldi, Temata, Haggerty, Heckenberg.

Referee: P Bentham (Warrington).