DOES any game get the nerves jangling more than a Challenge Cup semi-final?

There is so much at stake — 80 minutes from what is a trip to the still iconic Wembley Stadium and to walk in the footsteps of those giants of the game who have gone before.

Defeat at this stage is brutal, maybe even more than the final, as it renders all those good wins in the previous rounds completely worthless.

Saints will have a particular hunger this time out, having not been to Wembley since 2008 with only two members of the team that day - Jon Wilkin and James Roby - remaining.

Since then Saints have lost four semi-finals - a shock loss to Huddersfield in 2009, and defeats Leeds, twice, and Wigan.

Over the years Saints have been involved in some memorable Challenge Cup semis - late winners, controversial decisions and lucky escapes.

In 1976 hordes of Saints fans bought tickets for the old Twin Towers when they came out of the hat with Keighley, but what a tough nut that proved to be with Eric Ashton’s side edging through 5-4.

A year later Saints were denied in controversial circumstances, with a disallowed try costly in a 7-2 defeat by Leeds.

Out of the multitude of semi finals Saints have been involved in during the past 40 years, there are probably some which stick out more than most.

And it does seem as though the defeats have been burned into the psyche more indelibly than the victories.

1979, 1990, 2003 and 2005 were particularly painful

In 79 Saints looked home and hosed and looked set for a quick return to Wembley against Wakefield at Headingley when Eric Chisnall’s pass was snaffled up and after a spurt from David Topliss, Andrew Fletcher scampered over.

It would be 1987 - after a wait of nine years when they finally got back there. Saints were expected to bounce past Leigh but were made to fight tooth and nail in a scoreless, tense second half to win 14-8.

Two years later nobody gave Saints a hope against a star-studded Widnes side. Widnes led, despite having Richie Eyres sent off, until the closing minutes.

And in an iconic semi-final moment Les Quirk grabbed the late winner to send Murphy’s mob back to Wembley - though given what happened there, some wished they had just let the dream final run its course.

But a year later, 26,000 packed into Old Trafford to witness a classic - with a Quirk long-ranger worthy of winning it. Alas, Wigan came up with the late sucker punch from a Hanley-Goodway forward pass to break Saints hearts.

From 2001Saints made the semi 11 years in a row, winning six and losing five.

But the semi that jumps out in that era has to be another defeat - with the extra time loss against Leeds in 2003 being the first of many times that Danny McGuire and Kevin Sinfield would break Saints hearts.