MICKY Higham could not have picked a worse day to make his comeback after a lengthy four-month lay off.

By the time he entered the fray for his first match since April, Saints were trailing by 12 points and the mercury was going off the thermometer scale at pitchside.

Higham has been missing since breaking his ankle in warm-up prior to the Challenge Cup semi-final.

On Sunday injury to Jason Hooper after only quarter of an hour meant that the speedy hooker was thrown on at scrum half - and charged with trying to spark some life into a dull attack.

Although he showed the obvious signs of ring-rustiness, he was involved in the thick of the action and even marked his return with a try.

Saints' coach Ian Millward has no hesitation about throwing Higham into the 17 man squad for the visit of London tomorrow. (Friday)

He said: "He will be in the line-up. On Sunday he looked like a player who had not played for a long period of time. He looked very rusty.

"It was a tough day for a young kid to get his first game back - they were the hottest conditions we have played in for a couple of years.

"It was tough on Mick and he came up with a few errors that he does not normally come up with. He will be better for the experience."