The Giants looked to have secured both points after dominating the match and leading 24-6 at half-time, despite having two players sent to the sin bin.
But Rovers battled to the end and ran in late tries through joint captain Josh Hodgson and Omari Caro to get to within touching distance of their hosts, and stand-off Travis Burns kept his nerve with the last kick of the match to earn an unlikely share of the spoils at 24-24.
Hull KR were without new signing Mick Weyman and former Huddersfield players David Hodgson and Graeme Horne due to injury and suspension, and they lost loose forward Jamie Langley with a leg injury on 25 minutes.
The game was held up for nine minutes while Langley was treated on the pitch before carried off on a stretcher and there was another lengthy stoppage following a brawl that resulted in Huddersfield’s Jason Chan and Rovers’ Justin Poore being sin-binned.
The Giants were down to 11 men for a spell when centre Joe Wardle became the third player to be shown a yellow card, this time for holding down Kris Welham after halting his 60-metre break out of defence.
Even with their numerical advantage, Rovers struggled to break down Huddersfield’s superbly-marshalled defence.
Hooker Hodgson twice lost the ball going for the line and the visitors’ only first-half score came after 31 minutes when strong work from substitute Adam Walker created the space for winger Caro to go over at the corner.
Burns kicked the touchline conversion to make it 16-6 but Huddersfield skipper Danny Brough kept his side’s score ticking over with a penalty.
Brough had earlier opened the scoring after 12 minutes, touching down out wide after winger Jermaine McGillvary’s burst down the middle had pulled the Hull KR defence out of position.
A delightful pass out of the tackle by England second-rower Brett Ferres helped set up scrum-half Luke Robinson for the first of his two tries three minutes later and the Giants were firmly in command when hooker Kyle Wood twisted out of the tackle to stretch over for his side’s third try.
Brough’s second conversion made it 16-0.
Caro finally got the away side on the board, but Brough added a penalty after 34 minutes, before Robinson scored his second try on the stroke of half-time, making the most of a break by forward substitute Ukuma Ta’ai.
Brough’s fourth goal made it 24-6 but Rovers were back in contention early in the second half when forward Jordan Cox stretched out for the line to register his side’s second try and Burns added the goal.
Huddersfield , who had 18-year-old hooker Kruise Leeming making his third Super League appearance, thought they had scored again when Wood went over but referee Phil Bentham disallowed the try for a double movement by Brough after he had re-gathered his own towering kick.
Ferres also had a try disallowed for offside after touching down Robinson’s grubber kick and it was to prove a crucial call.
Hodgson touched down three minutes from the end after full-back Greg Eden’s high kick caused confusion in the Giants defence, and there was just enough time for Caro to make the most of an overlap and sprint 60 metres for his second try, with Burns kicking his fourth goal.
Rugby League - Rovers late show denies Giants
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