ST Helens claimed a moral victory over the touring New Zealanders after their patched-up side went down 38-26 in a 12-try feast at Knowsley Road.

Saints bolstered their team with a mixture of reserves and new signings after losing seven of their victorious Grand Final team to injury but they pushed a virtual Kiwi Test team all the way in front of a disappointing crowd of 5,612, St Helens' lowest of the season.

The Super League champions were never in front but their doggedness made sure the tourists could never relax and it needed a late converted try from substitute forward Tony Puletua to finally spare their blushes.

"I'm really proud of the players," said coach Ian Millward.

'I'm a bit disappointed that we lost in fact. Morally we were the winners.

"It probably typified the attitude in the club throughout the whole year."

In truth, New Zealand were always the more inventive side and should have won more comfortably, despite the wet conditions which were far from conducive to their flamboyant style of rugby.

They also lost Monty Betham to the sin bin for a spell early in the second half but the power of Ali Lauiti'iti and Stephen Kearney, combined with the pace of Nigel Vagana, make them a potent force.

Vagana, Super League's top tryscorer in his season with Warrington five years ago, grabbed two tries in a man-of-the-match display while Puletua also touched down twice and other tries came from Henry Fa'afili, Michael Smith and Lauiti'iti, with Richard Swain kicking five goals.

Coach Gary Freeman put his side's defensive lapses down to the fact that they were playing their second match in four days and he was delighted with their attacking prowess.

"You can't be unhappy with the way they played," he said.

'They scored some very good tries. And, when you look at the way they promote the ball, even in the conditions, we could have scored four or five more tries easy."

St Helens threequarter Darren Albert got among the tries to register his 25th of the season but the eye-catching performances came from the two Great Britain internationals on duty.

Martin Gleeson, playing out of position at stand-off, showed some useful touches in attack while Keiron Cunningham defied injury and illness to set up both first-half tries for Mick Higham and Gleeson.

Millward afterwards revealed that both Gleeson and Cunningham had been vomiting in the dressing room before kick-off after being affected by a flu bug sweeping through the club.

Cunningham, hoping to play against the Kiwis on five consecutive weekends, had been doubtful with a hand injury but he stepped into the breach when Sean Long pulled out following confirmation that he played in the Grand Final with a fractured cheekbone.

Long is expected to be named today in Great Britain coach David Waite's squad but, according to Millward, will not be fit for the first Test at Blackburn a fortnight today.

"The surgeon said we had two options - plate it or let it heal naturally and they're going to let it heal naturally so he's out for four weeks," said Millward.

"It's up to the Great Britain doctor, we would never rule him out. I'm pretty sure he will miss the first Test but hopefully for Great Britain, he will be there for the last two because if you see the way they had problems tonight, Sean will blow them apart."