Once again, Saints had the luxury of naming an unchanged side to take on the quiet men of Super League, Wakefield Trinity. The visitors are methodically going about their business of ensuring a middle eights finish and knew that although a win at the Totally Wicked Stadium would be a surprise, it would almost guarantee their place in the Super Eights.
Wakefield were the victors when the two sides met back in round eleven, by 24-20, and after three wins in their last four outings they were high on confidence. Saints progress at the top of the table seems relentless and they came into the game unbeaten since that loss to Trinity in mid-April.
Both sides had early chances to open the scoring but couldn’t find the crucial final pass to crash the line. On eleven Regan Grace finally found space on the overlap as Saints moved the ball from the back of the scrum with Mark Percival putting in the final ball for the young winger to breeze past the winger and score in the corner. Danny Richardson slid the conversion inside the far post for 6-0.
Trinity, through Tom Johnson, were gifted a response on eighteen when Ryan Morgan tried to flick the pass to the right and saw it go directly into the hands of the Wakefield wing man for a gift of a two metre walk in. Liam Finn added the conversion to level the scores.
It was way too easy on twenty-three as Saints carved the Trinity defence apart, Jonny Lomax finishing a sixty metre passing move in taking a Percival pass to go over by the left upright. Richardson added the goal for 12-6.
On thirty three Saints were in again when a high kick was knocked back by Tommy Makinson and then collected off the ground by Richardson to duck inside the tackler and walk over. He added the extras himself for 18-6.
A high tackle by Wakefield enabled Saints to kick a penalty as the last action of the first half and when Richardson put it between the uprights it was a convincing 20-6 lead.
First blood in the second half went the way of Trinity when Ryan Hampshire was in support of the breaking Jacob Miller to go the last five metres and score under the sticks. Liam Finn was accurate with the boot for 20-12.
On fifty-one Trinity got within two when Jacob Miller collected his own high kick just two metres from the line, as Ben Barba flapped at the ball, and the stand-in skipper walked in for Wakefield’s third. Finn added the extras and Saints lead was down to two points.
Barba knocked on a kick through on fifty-five, the super Saints full-backs halo slipping momentarily and gifting Trinity a second try in four minutes when two tackles into the six Mason Caton-Brown broke the Saints defence to edge his side ahead. Finn was unable to add the extras, the lead just two points.
On the hour mark Tom Johnstone got his second of the night by stepping inside off his wing and wrong-footing the Saints defenders to dive over. Finn hit the post with the conversion attempt, Trinity now six points to the good.
On sixty-four Saints broke downfield from their own line with a great run from Percival before passing to Regan Grace thirty metres from the line for the flying winger to get his second of the night. Richardson was unable to add the extras, Saints trailing by two.
Three minutes later and it was Saints back in the lead when James Roby took a pass over his head and made a try from nothing as he ducked under a couple of tackles to ground. Richardson added the extras for 30-26.
The game was won on seventy-one when Zeb Taia stretched for the line from under a pile of bodies to ground on the line. Richardson again failed with the conversion attempt but at 34-26 it was a score too far for Trinity.
Wakefield got small consolation on seventy-nine as Reece Lyne scored a miracle try by the right corner flag. They opted not to kick at goal in the hope of scoring the points needed to win, but to no avail as they spilled possession as they tried to grab the win.
This was a tremedous game and Trinity put up a terrific fight in a match which kept the neutrals amused for the full eighty. There was plenty of skill on show but both defences will be frustrated at the amount of points that they leaked. Saints maintain their march at the top and Trinity are still embroiled in the race for the eight.
Saints: Barba, Makinson, Morgan, Percival, Grace (2T), Lomax (T), Richardson (T, 5G), Douglas, Roby (T), Thompson, Taia (T), Peyroux, Wilkin. Subs: Fages, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Knowles, Lees.
Trinity: Hampshire (T), Caton-Brown (T), Tupou, Lyne (T), Johnstone (T), Miller (T), Finn (3G), England, Randell, Fifita, Batchelor, Ashurst, Arona. Subs: Wood, Pauli, Annakin, Hirst.
Referee: James Child.
Half-Time: 20-6.
Full-Time: 34-30.
Attendance: .
