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Justin Morgan on Challenge Cup quarter-final

Luke Robinson and Keith Mason stop the Crusaders' Mark Dalle Cort
Huddersfield rely on a physical defensive game to stop their opponents

BBC Two and the BBC Sport website are back on the Road to Wembley when Huddersfield face Castleford on Sunday in the quarter-finals of the Carnegie Challenge Cup.

Hull KR coach Justin Morgan gives us his verdict on the big game.

Justin Morgan
Justin Morgan on Huddersfield v Castleford

Coverage: Live on BBC 2; Exclusive full match radio commentary on BBC Radio Leeds 92.4 FM, 774 AM, DAB & online from 1500 BST; Score updates on BBC Radio 5 Live & the BBC Sport website

For me, both teams have been the revelations of the Super League this season. Castleford are a great offensive team with players like Sione Faumuina, Rangi Chase and Ryan McGoldrick, who like to promote the football.

But the absence of scrum-half Brent Sherwin will be a massive blow for the Tigers. The Australian is their rudder and gives them great direction, so whoever fills in for him will have a huge role to play.

Huddersfield are the form team of Super League right now. They have been consistent all year and coach Nathan Brown has transformed them into contenders for both the league and cup.

They have a big set of forwards, while the half-backs Luke Robinson and Kevin Brown are industrious, creating chances to utilise the speed of full-back Brett Hodgson.

The two coaches - Nathan Brown and Terry Matterson, are modern thinkers who like to play an entertaining style of rugby

If Sherwin had been playing, Castleford would have that extra dimension in their kicking game. But without him, the two teams are fairly equal in that department. Cas will have to rely on Chase, Faumuina or Ryan Hudson for that spark of genius.

But if the conditions are good, field position will not be that important because both teams can score tries from anywhere. Both teams have excellent speed in their outside backs and have the ability to score tries from inside their own halves.

In contrast, the two sets of forwards are very different. The Tigers pack is mobile, led by Mitchell Sargent, and they move around the park at speed and work really hard from marker to put teams under pressure.

Huddersfield, on the other hand, rely on brute strength to outmuscle their opponents through the likes of Eorl Crabtree and Keith Mason, preferring to crash through you in the middle of the park. Both forwards get the job done, albeit with different styles.

The two coaches - Brown and Terry Matterson - are modern thinkers who like to play an entertaining style of rugby. Both are schooled in the NRL, which sometimes can make some coaches defence-orientated, but not these two.

Home advantage will play a huge role, so the Giants have the advantage there. The crowds tend to add that extra intensity, especially in a tense match.

If you talk to coaches they all want home fixtures, especially so in the quarter-finals as it is the last match before the neutral venues of the semi-finals.

But for me, Huddersfield have the edge after a very convincing 54-6 win against Wakefield last week and that is good enough to beat Castleford, who have lost their two previous matches.

(Justin Morgan was speaking to BBC Sport's Pranav Soneji)



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see also
Hull KR 24-25 Warrington
30 May 09 |  Rugby League
Huddersfield 16-14 Castleford
31 May 09 |  Rugby League
Sherwin to miss Tigers Cup date
26 May 09 |  Castleford
Warrington 16-8 Wigan
22 May 09 |  Rugby League
Hull KR 16-6 Castleford
22 May 09 |  Rugby League


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