Some welcome respite for Challenge Cup holders St Helens, who transport the ball into the York half for the first time in what seems like an age.

An obstruction penalty stops their progress.

York captain Sade Rihari and Saints full-back Beri Salihi are both back on their feet and able to continue.

We'll restart with Saints carrying the ball from their own 10-metre line.

Wow, wow, wow.

The fact York have managed to scramble through that and keep the ball alive. Just take a moment for Saints' defence there as well.

The scrambling defence kept York out, the ball was being thrown left, right and centre. It went everywhere and Saints managed to keep them out.

Full credit to St Helens here, who are facing a barrage of attacks from York but are holding out for now.

Another ball spilled forward by a white shirt as they look to gather a grubber kick.

Another six tackles for York but, again, Saints hold firm.

A couple of players are down injured and need some treatment, one for each side, so we'll get a much-needed breather after a very frantic passage of play!

Georgie Hetherington dashes from deep and runs straight at two Saints forwards, who crunch Hetherington to the ground.

She wouldn't have stopped any quicker if she'd run into a brick wall.

Saints knock on deep in their own territory and York can go again in search of their first points.

It's been all York in the past five minutes.

Second-rower Lacey Owen's break creates an opportunity which falters at the last, but they're getting closer...

It's a great phase of play from York, they move the ball so well across the field.

Saints are really lucky that they were able to just get Eboni Partington's heel into touch there.

We need to see more of that.

Chantelle Crowl's high tackle gives York a penalty in decent field position.

They head to the left touchline this time and Eboni Partington, like Emma Kershaw just before her, gets close to the try line but is tackled into touch by a couple of Saints defenders.

Much better from York.

Superb play by York, their first real attacking moment of the match.

Carrie Roberts offloads to Emma Kershaw on the right touchline and the reigning Super League champions get close to the line on a couple of occasions.

But the red and white shirts of St Helens keep them at bay, bundling Kershaw into touch.

Image source, Getty Images

Approaching the 10-minute mark and Saints are definitely good value for their, albeit narrow, lead.

I'd back Faye Gaskin all day, put my mortgage on it, but you have to take confidence that Saints needed to take that two.

They are not breaking the defensive line, they are not doing what they feel they need to and are taking points where they can.

Ooof - Saints hooker Tara Jones darts away from the York defenders and Alex Stimpson catches her with a high shot, giving away a penalty.

Faye Gaskin places the ball on the tee and, from about 25 metres, kicks the first two points of this semi-final.

It's about how you now deal with the mistakes that you make.

There is nothing more high pressured than a semi-final or final and all the mistakes seem a little bit worse when you make them out there.

York's Sade Rihari knocks on near halfway, giving St Helens the first real opportunity to attack the opposition's line.

They get within 10 metres but York keep Saints out, wrapping up Luci McColm on the last tackle and forcing the handover.

Saints get the ball first and a kick forward by half-back Zoe Harris takes an awkward bounce away from Georgie Hetherington, who is starting at full-back for York today.

Hetherington does well to mop up, though, and York's first set ends with them returning the ball on Saints' 20-metre line.

"Challenge Cup" - those words make everything ramp up 100% and these are two phenomenal sides.

We have spoken about York doing it a bit tough today [with illness in the camp], but I don't want to do a disservice to the girls that are out on that field.

There is so much quality and strength in depth that I think York will go out and fight even harder today because maybe their backs are against the wall.

It will be a nail-biter and absolute cracker.

Away we go!

St Helens: Salihi; Hook, E Stott, McColm, Burke; Harris, Gaskin; Whitfield, Jones, Crowl, Travis, Rudge, Cunningham.

Interchanges: Williams, D Stott, Mottershead, Sutherland.

York: Hetherington; Partington, Renouf, Roberts, Kershaw; Rihari, Eastwood; Wood, Wilton, Stimpson, Owen, Andrade, Bell.

Interchanges: Marshall, Gentles, Sanderson, Sharp.

Jodie Cunningham and Sade Rihari, the captains of St Helens and York, lead out their sides at the Eco-Power Stadium in Doncaster.

York boast the past two winners of the Woman of Steel award, but neither is in action for Valkyrie today.

The 2023 winner Sinead Peach recently announced her pregnancy and she will not play again this season.

Meanwhile, fellow England international Tara Jane Stanley, who claimed the award in 2022, has been ruled out because of illness.

In fact, several of the York players have been struggling with a sickness bug that has swept through their squad this week.