Long inspires Saints win

Harlequins almost gave St Helens a fright after battling back from 16-0 down to 16-12 before Saints showed their class to stretch clear.

There was also plenty of individual class on display, notably from Sean Long, whose future at Knowsley Road remains uncertain.

The 32-year-old former Great Britain scrum-half this week revealed he will consider leaving the club after 12 years after being told Saints are only prepared to offer him a one-year deal.

Long is out of contract at the end of the season and has been linked with a move to Huddersfield.

In the 52nd minute, with Saints leading, Long drove at the heart of the Harlequins defence.

A combination of delightful footwork and impressive pace took him close to the visitors' line and although a last-ditch tackle halted his progress, Long had the awareness to conjure an audacious offload to the onrushing James Roby, who touched down.

Long then converted to put his side 16-0 ahead after first-half tries from Chris Flannery and Paul Wellens.

Courageous

Harlequins showed admirable guts to fashion a courageous fightback and claim tries from Louie McCarthy-Scarsbrook and an excellent interception score from Luke Dorn.

But Saints added a fourth score in the 78th minute when captain Keiron Cunningham powered his way over.

Quins began brightly and the potent half-back partnership of Danny Orr and Dorn asked questions of St Helens in the opening exchanges.

Yet Saints held firm and quickly turned the tables to enjoy a spell of sustained pressure which reaped rich rewards in the 12th minute.

A thrilling move which saw the ball pass through the hands of Cunningham, Long, Leon Pryce and Wellens culminated in rookie wing Gary Wheeler being denied in the left corner.

Saints maintained the pressure, however, and after Flannery narrowly failed to ground Long's teasing grubber kick he collected Gidley's pass to touch down from point-blank range.

Long could not convert from a difficult angle and Harlequins defended impressively without creating any real openings themselves.

However, they were powerless to prevent Wellens diving over in the right corner on the stroke of half-time after another fine pass from Gidley created the opening.

Long added the extras but Harlequins began the second half as they had the first; with purpose and vigour, yet they struggled to create clear-cut openings.

Long showed the men from the capital how to create something out of nothing in the 52nd minute when he handed Roby a try on a plate.

Rewarded

Long added the extras from just wide of the posts to put his side 16-0 ahead.

Quins refused to surrender and were rewarded when highly-rated McCarthy-Scarsbrook burrowed over for a try which Rob Purdham converted.

Dorn then raced clear in the 66th minute for an excellent breakaway score which Purdham again converted.

Yet Saints had the final say in the 78th minute when Cunningham crashed over the line from close range and Long added his third conversion.