Saints 42 Wakefield Wildcats 34

WHICH other team could be cruising to what hinted of a massive victory just after half-time and then be left hanging on?

Look no further than unpredictable Saints after an almost-fatal collapse that transformed a 32-6 cushion into a 34-32 bed-of-nails.

Complacency on such a scale bodes ill for Saints' Grand Final chances, and no doubt coach Ellery Hanley hammered home the virtues of 80-minute effort.

A story of contrasting halves saw Saints play some quite brilliant rugby in the opening 40 half and scored four sparkling tries in 13 minutes, which was fodder indeed for the 'Super League should be reduced' lobby.

A Saints side lacking Sean Long struggled for cohesion in the early stages against a Wildcats squad prone to stray offside, and it took a bizarre try by Smith to open the scoring, with the chance coming following a Wellens break and speculative footwork by Sculthorpe and Iro.

The Kiwi Test ace then 'made' Atcheson's 11th try of the season and Tommy Martyn added the angled conversion.

Now fully on song, Saints moved into a 16-0 lead on 20 minutes when Cunningham's defence-splitting pass put Newlove under way and he fed Anthony Sullivan, who took his touchdown sequence to eight matches with Martyn tacking on the goal points. Wakefield reduced their arrears when burly winger Neil Law pounced for Ian Talbot to add a touchline conversion, and Saints' response was immediate when Iro's pass saw Smith leave full-back Shaun Kenwood rooted to the spot as Chris raced beneath Eccleston uprights.

More good work from Wellens resulted in another six-pointer by the grafting Perelini, and when Sculthorpe sent in Freddie Tuilagi soon after the resumption terrace talk was of Saints' sixth 50-pointer of the campaign.

Not so thought Wakefield who, spearheaded by influential Tony Kemp, proceeded to dismantle apologetic defence by Saints.

The first came when Kemp put block-busting substitute Wayne McDonald in from 30 yards. Then Newlove dropped Sculthorpe's pass and winger Alfred Songoro raced 80 yards to touch down, and Talbot landed the goal.

Kemp then applied the finishing touch to a break by Willie Poching who, almost immediately, scored himself after a link-up with McDonald, and with the trusty boot of Talbot converting both Wakefield were breathing down Saints' necks at 32-28.

Home fans were stunned when Kenwood chipped through to plunge over with Talbot's goal giving Wildcats the lead for the first time on 61 minutes, but cometh the hours cometh the man as Joynt's barnstorming break saw Newlove power over.

Wellen's conversion attempt hit the wooodwork to leave Saints desperately hanging onto a 36-34 advantage, and it was only when substitute Gareth Price scored his side's eighth try in the 76th minute for Paul to convert that Saints could relax.

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