Saints give Nathan Brown a winning start against Huddersfield

SAINTS gave Nathan Brown a winning start against his former club – and as an added bonus they kept a clean sheet, Saints scored five tries with a determined defensive effort keeping the try line intact in the first friendly of 2013.

There was some massive hits in particular from Sia Soliola, who put in some real bone crunchers particularly in the first half.

James Roby opened the scoring when he collected an overhead offload from debutant Willie Manu to dart over from close range on 15 minutes.

Another debutant, Jordan Turner, tagged on the extras.

Saints stretched the lead when, after Jonny Lomax had been stopped just short, Anthony Laffranchi bashed his way over from close range. Again Turner slotted the extras to make it 12-0.

Giants had a spell with the ball, but Saints’ defensive line showed some resolve to repel them.

Three minutes before the break Saints extended the lead when an excellent cut-out pass from Lee Gaskell, starting the game at stand-off, sent skipper Paul Wellens in at the corner.

This time Turner was unable to convert, but Saints looked comfortable at the break.

Saints wasted no time in getting off the mark in the second half, with young Joe Greenwood storming over after three minutes, with Jonny Lomax gaoling.

The second half saw both sides throw on plenty of youngsters, with the game played under unlimited substitutions.

Some massive defence from Saints, which rocked the Giants back, but they were assisted at times with the referee’s punishment of the visitors five times for not playing the ball.

Saints extended the lead eight minutes before the end when Lance Hohaia, operating at full back, sent youngster Mark Percival in at the corner.

Saints: Wellens; Makinson, Turner, Jones, Meli; Gaskell, Lomax; Laffranchi, Roby, McCarthy-Scarsbrook, Soliola, Wilkin, Manu. Subs: Gardner, Hohaia, Flanagan, Forster, Ashe, Greenwood, Walmsley, Walker, Hand, Yates, Speakman, Percival, Tilley.

Huddersfield: Grix; Dawson, Cudjoe, Murphy, George; Brough, Robinson; Kopczak, Faiumu, Patrick, Chan, Cording, Lawrence. Subs: Wardle, Lunt, Blackmore, Ferguson, Mullally, Johnson, Mason, Aspinall, Connor, Miller, Leeming.