St Helens shine

Sheffield 32

St Helens 43

Top-class club rugby league came to Cardiff last night and St Helens showed why, as an attacking force at any rate, they are out on their own at the top of the class of `96.

Sheffield's enterprise in taking their home Super League fixture to the Arms Park received its reward in the shape of a crowd that compared favourably with what they could have expected at the Don Valley Stadium, and which gave the code's prospects in South Wales a major boost.

But that was all they were to get out of the game. Saints' ability to seize their chances meant that, after a sticky first few minutes, they always had their noses far enough ahead to look the likely winners, going four points clear at the top of the table, at least until Wigan play the London Broncos tonight.

Down the street from the Arms Park in The Old Arcade, they still joke about the risk of being struck by lightning now that there is a Welsh Rugby League shirt on the wall of the bar alongside the union ones. No thunderbolts were recorded in central Cardiff, but Saints were hit by a rapid strike from Sheffield before the game was a minute old. Steve Prescott spooned Mark Aston's bomb under pressure from Waisale Sovatabua, and the ball landed in the arms of Keith Senior for one of the season's quickest tries.

A six-point lead could have been 12 if Anthony Sullivan had not caught Sovatabua as he headed for the line. Relieved by that escape, Saints hit their stride. John McAtee, standing in for the injured Bobbie Goulding after being on loan to South Wales earlier in the season, stabbed through a kick, the ball took a deflection and Keiron Cunningham scored.

The difference between the two sides was underlined midway through the half. Alan Hunte took Karle Hammond's pass for a break identical to Sovatabua, but this time there was no rescue and Saints, with Prescott kicking the third of his seven goals, were eight points ahead.

A dummy from Hammond opened up the Sheffield defence for Saints' third try, although another Aston bomb, knocked back by Senior for Aston to supply Paul Dixon, enabled the Eagles to respond. Sullivan's interception from Matt Crowther, however, kept Saints firmly in command.

Sovatabua backed up Senior to open the second-half scoring for Sheffield, but Paul Newlove's strong run allowed Sullivan to scramble over the line for Saints.

Apollo Perelini and Danny Arnold did superbly to keep the ball alive for Hunte to claim his second, and immaculate handling by Vila Matautia and Chris Joynt released Newlove for his 25th try of the season.

Sheffield were still capable of exposing some defensive uncertainty in the league leaders' ranks, Ian Hughes scoring from Aston's pass and Crowther following Aston's kick for another try, but Saints were too far in front to be caught and confirmed their win with Hammond's drop goal.

In the Second Division curtain-raiser yesterday, the South Wales side that has applied to join Super League next season beat Carlisle, 37-18.

Sheffield Eagles: Sovatabua, Sodje, Grimley, Senior, Garcia, Crowther, Aston, Broadbent, Lawless, McAllister, Hughes, Hay, Farrell. Subs: Price, Turner, Dixon, Cook.

St Helens: Prescott, Arnold, Hunte, Newlove, Sullivan, Hammond, McAtee, Perelini, Cunningham, Fogarty, Booth, Pickavance, Joynt. Subs: Haigh, Matautia. Morley. Not used: Cross.

Referee: D Campbell (Widnes).