ST HELENS ........ 14 Brough inspires

Darnell McIntosh; Jermaine McGillvary, Sam Wood, Alex Mellor, Aaron Murphy; Danny Brough, Lee Gaskell; Seb Ikahihifo, Ryan Hinchcliffe, Shannon Wakeman, Ollie Roberts, Dale Ferguson, Paul Clough. Sam Rapira, Kruise Leeming, Nathan Mason, Tyler Dickinson. McIntosh Brough while Wood’s try secured a second draw of the campaign for Giants head coach Rick Stone’s men.

Brough tried to atone for his miss with a drop goal attempt from halfway while Matty Smith was crowded out at the other end in a frantic finale. The Giants trailed 14-0 at the break largely down to the finishing skills of stand-off Fages.

Twice in six minutes the ex Salford pivot crossed the visitors’ line before Adam Swift celebrated a new contract extension with Saints’ third touch down of the half.

Such a score line looked unlikely after a sterile opening 25 minutes with Stone’s side marginally the more threatening.

Stone’s latest selection saw two in, two out for Giants with Brough back from a two-game ban and Aaron Murphy taking over from Gene Ormsby.

On the debit side, Leroy Cudjoe and Ukuma Ta’ai missed out through injury, replaced by Sam Wood and Oliver Roberts.

And it was a promising start with Brough and ex Saint Gaskell forcing Saints to back pedal with raking kicks.

Even after losing Dale Ferguson temporarily for a concussion assessment, Huddersfield looked untroubled and markedly improved from a 52-16 hammering at Castleford six days earlier.

Instead, Fages provided a cutting edge to the previously blunt Saints attack

Firstly, he ducked and dived under statue defensive cover in Saints’ first serious attack to register the opening points for centre Mark Percival to improve.

His second try was a beauty, mesmerising unsuspecting fullback Darnell McIntosh, with a delightful side step, inches in from the touch line.

Saints weren’t done and Swift marked his 100th appearance with a walk-in from Percival’s pass to leave Stone with another testing interval pep talk.