Saints 50

Huddersfield-Sheffield Giants 30 FREE-SCORING Saints kept in touch at the top with their seventh win in as many games after this 10-try romp on glorious Bank Holiday Monday.

But it was a case of 'after the Lord Mayor's show' following the Wigan and Warrington epics, for despite an 80-point plethora this roller-coaster affair lacked intensity and was saddled with end-of-season flavour.

Predictable maybe, with high-flying Saints pitted against a weakened basement club who rarely hinted of a giant-killing act, despite notching five tries against a home side whose defensive frailty meant they didn't overhaul leaders Wigan.

Failure to convert all four second-half tries did not help either and it is also remarkable that, despite Saints' often quite brilliant approach work, wingers Chris Smith and Anthony Sullivan saw little of the ball.

Having said this, it should be remembered that Saints' game plan was largely disrupted by injuries to Sean Long (leg), Paul Wellens (ankle), Sonny Nickle (knee) and John Stankevitch (head wound).

However, there was plenty to please from a Saints' side rightly dubbed 'the entertainers,' including a nap-hand of tries by Kevin Iro, enabling him to equal Super League's record, earn the the man-of-the-match award, and score his third hat-trick of the season. Goalkicking misses apart Tommy Martyn enjoyed another good innings, as did crew-cut Apollo Perelini, hirsute Freddy Tuilagi, Keiron Cunningham, revitalised Sean Hoppe and - before his withdrawal - the fast-maturing Wellens.

Coaches' comments were naturally varied with Ian Millward saying: "It's all right scoring points but we have to deny them at the other end, and I am disappointed at allowing Wigan increase the differential." Exclaimed Giants' boss John Kear: "After scoring 30 points we still copped an hiding! We did our homework on the likes of Iro, Long, Cunningham, Perelini and Tuilagi but the desire to defend well simply wasn't there."

Cunningham lit the touch paper for Saints with a blistering break from the kick-off which saw Hoppe open Saints account with Long adding the goal, but Huddersfied hit back when Darren Turner made a a try for Waisale Sovatabua which Gene Ngamu converted.

Three attempts to bring 'Sully' into action broke down, before Martyn moved play to the other flank for Iro to cross with Long converting, and the lethal dose was repeated to give Saints and 18-6 lead in as many minutes.

The blockbusting Perelini removed full-back Ngamu from his path for Saints' fourth touchdown, and there was more than a suggestion of a cricket score when Long sent Stankevitch over for his first try in senior company .

Martyn added the extra points as Long left the field, with the re-jigged Saints side now having Hoppe at full-back, Wellens stand-off and Tommy in the scrum-half role, and it was at this point that Giants reduced the leeway with a six-pointer from Johnny Lawford. Tuilagi's thunderous run enable Iro to notch his third try which Martyn goaled to give Saints a 34-12 cushion at half-time, which was soon increased on the restart when Martyn and Stankevitch sent skipper Chris Joynt between the uprights but Martyn missed the goal.

Clinch then put Sovatabua in for his second try with Ngamu tacking on the goal, but Steve Hall, Martyn and Wellens were involved a move which Iro capitalised on with his fourth touchdown, meaning that Saints held an 42-18 initiative with 55 minutes gone.

Perelini left four would-be tackers in his wake when scoring his second try before Dale Cordoza notched Huddersfield's fourth, while Iro's fifth resulted from a surging run from the indefatigable Cunningham.

Ngamu's superb solo try and fifth successive goal rounded off a game which, if anything, served only to emphasise the yawning chasm that separates the leading and lesser lights of Super League.