St Helens probably had sufficient fire-power to win last night’s pivotal encounter between the top two in the engage Super League, even without the dismissal of Nick Scruton, the Leeds Rhinos substitute, in the 55th minute.

Their victory reduced Leeds’s advantage at the top of the table to just two points after this, their second successive defeat. They were reduced in numbers when Scruton was sent off for a spear tackle on Keiron Cunningham, but Leeds were beaten before and after the player’s exit by two blistering finishes from Francis Meli.

With a dozen or more candidates setting out their stall for Tony Smith’s England squad to be announced on Monday for the international against France in Toulouse on Friday, it was the national head coach’s chance to assess Leon Pryce and Danny McGuire in direct competition for the stand-off berth. Both were involved in their teams’ opening tries, with McGuire looking lively in tandem with Rob Burrow, Smith’s automatic choice at scrum half.

Pryce, Burrow’s half-back partner during Great Britain’s 3-0 series whitewash of New Zealand last year, struck the first blow after 24 minutes in a well crafted move involving James Graham to send Maurie Fa’asavalu, racing past Brent Webb to thump the ball down beneath the posts.

St Helens had earlier come close, only for Willie Talau to lose the ball over the line, while at the other end, Saints’ defence stood firm but was eventually unpicked by a dinked kick by McGuire that bobbled beyond the outstretched arm of Paul Wellens and was reached by Kevin Sinfield who scored.

However, despite spending much of the half on their heels, a clinical St Helens ended it 10-6 in front after Sean Long’s kick rebounded off the padding of the posts and fell for Bryn Hargreaves to touch down and imbue Saints with the confidence to complete the victory.

There was an ominous flow to Long and Pryce dovetailing in midfield and Wellens floating a pass out to the unstoppable Meli within five minutes of the restart. Leeds were rattled and, after Scruton’s clumsy intervention, were immediately punished by Saints sending the ball fizzing from wing to wing for Meli’s second try.

After a run of penalties against Leeds, the relief of one going their way instilled sufficient belief for Scott Donald to go over from Keith Senior’s offload. But the insurrection was swiftly put down by Long’s lofted kick and Pryce outleapping Webb to score the winning try in the 69th minute.

Scorers: Leeds Rhinos: Tries: Sinfield, Donald. Goals: Sinfield 2. St Helens: Tries: Fa’asavalu, Hargreaves, Meli 2, Pryce. Goals: Long 3.

Leeds Rhinos: B Webb; L Smith, G Ellis, K Senior, S Donald; D McGuire, R Burrow; K Leuluai, M Diskin, R Bailey, J Peacock, C Ablett, K Sinfield. Interchange: N Scruton, J Tansey, L Burgess, J Jones-Buchanan.

St Helens: P Wellens; A Gardner, M Gidley, W Talau, F Meli; L Pryce, S Long; J Graham, K Cunningham, B Hargreaves, L Gilmour, J Wilkin, P Sculthorpe. Interchange: J Roby, P Clough, M Fa’asavalu, S Thompson.

Referee: S Ganson.