England vs France: Talking points for Saturday’s men’s and women’s international double-header | Rugby League News

George Williams (centre) leads England’s men as they take on France in Warrington on Saturday

We look at what is being said in the England and France camps ahead of Saturday’s men’s and women’s international double header at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium, live on Sky Sports…

Wane’s new England take first steps for 2025

Injury withdrawals from the England men’s squad have been one of the main talking points in the buildup to Saturday afternoon’s match against France, but head coach Shaun Wane is delighted to be working with a new group as plans start to take shape for the 2025 Rugby League World Cup.

The unavailability of England’s NRL-based internationals for this Test as well mean this is a squad comprised entirely of Betfred Super League players, with newly appointed captain George Williams, Kai Pearce-Paul, Jack Welsby and Ben Currie the only previously-capped players involved.

Williams, Pearce-Paul and Welsby are the only members of last year’s Rugby League World Cup squad involved too, yet Wane is enjoying working with a new group which he hopes will form a significant part of the squad for the next global gathering in France in two years’ time.

“What really excites me is having a new group of young players,” Wane told Sky Sports. “A few don’t know me really well, so they need to be know what I’m strict about, how I want to play and the way we train, and how we behave off the field.

“It’s been a bit of a learning curve for them, and I need to get to know them as well.

“Out of the original squad, I would hope 90 per cent would make the 2025 World Cup squad. It’s up to them how they train, how they manage themselves, how they behave away from the clubs and what they do, and how obsessed they are about playing in a World Cup final.

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Jamie Jones-Buchanan and Barrie McDermott discuss Shaun Wane’s contract extension to lead England into the 2025 World Cup.

“That’s what we need to aim for in 2025. We fell short in the last World Cup and that can’t happen again.”

One of those who is likely to make his Test bow on Saturday is Harry Smith, with the Wigan Warriors half back having featured off the interchange bench in last year’s non-cap international against Fiji.

Smith has been one of the stars of the first 10 rounds of the 2023 Super League season and he is in no doubt that experience of being around the England squad pre-World Cup has helped him as he eyes a start against France.

“I had a little bit of a taste of it at the end of last year,” Smith told Sky Sports. “Being in that environment with the best players in the country helped me a lot and helped me develop for the start of the season.

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Harry Smith got the first try of the game for Wigan Warriors in their Good Friday derby win over St Helens.

“It was a great learning curve, but to be able to call it an official cap would be good for me.”

Can young French side earn England’s respect?

It is just over six months since France last faced England, succumbing to a 42-18 defeat in the second match of Group A at the World Cup in a match where they only trailed 18-12 at half-time.

Like his counterpart Wane, France head coach Laurent Frayssinous has named a squad with an eye on the future, particularly with the country being sole host for the next World Cup for the first time since 1972.

Players from Catalans Dragons unsurprisingly dominate the squad, with 10 representing Super League’s French outfit, and Frayssinous is eager to see his side show they are capable of competing with England as they aim for a first win over their old rivals since 1981.

France were beaten by England in the World Cup group stage last year

“It is a young and quality group that will face England,” Frayssinous said. “I am very excited to work with the players who for some participated in the last World Cup and the others who will experience our environment for the first time.

“They will be able to fit into the mould of what we have put in place in recent years.

“The objective of this Test match is to continue to earn the respect of England, but also to start building for the big events that await us such as the European Cup at the end of the year and, of course, the 2025 World Cup.”

England (from): Matty Ashton, Ben Currie, Tyler Dupree, Ash Handley, James Harrison, Ethan Havard, Tom Holroyd, Toby King, Mikey Lewis, Jez Litten, Matty Nicholson, Kai Pearce-Paul, Harry Smith, Morgan Smithies, Josh Thewlis, Danny Walker, Jake Wardle, Jack Welsby, George Williams (captain).

France (from): Tiaki Chan, Mathieu Cozza, Jordan Dezaria, Romain Franco, Mickael Goudemand, Louis Jouffret, Benjamin Jullien, Mathieu Jussaume, Matthieu Laguerre, Samisoni Langi, Paul Marcon, Anthony Marion, Arthur Mourgue, Arthur Romano, Cesar Rouge, Justin Sangare, Bastien Scimone, Ugo Tison, Florian Vailhen, Tanguy Zenon.

Cunningham and Barrow lead England into new era

It is the start of a new era for England’s women too as last year’s World Cup semi-finalists take on France in the first match of the day in Warrington.

Stuart Barrow has taken over from Craig Richards as head coach, while Jodie Cunningham has succeeded her St Helens club-mate Emily Rudge as captain. Eboni Partington could make her debut as well.

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Jon Wilkin is joined by England captain Jodie Cunningham and Sky Sports’ Barrie McDermott as they debate whether cats or dogs make better pets, what it takes to be a great leader, and which superheroes would make the best rugby league players.

It should come as no surprise, therefore, that reigning Woman of Steel Tara-Jane Stanley believes England’s players need to be fully focussed on themselves rather than too much about what France will have in store.

“We know they’ve got a new coach and a few new players, but we need to look a lot closer to home,” Stanley said.

“We’re big on making sure we get our stuff right. As much as it is about looking at the opposition, we’ve got to make sure we stick to our fundamentals and game plan and trust the process the coaches are giving us.”

Last year’s corresponding fixture saw England triumph 36-10 over France, but the visitors return to the Halliwell Jones Stadium with a new-look team and head coach Romain Maillot is looking forward to seeing his team in action for the first time since taking charge earlier this year.

“We go again with a new list of 20 players to face the England team, a difficult and highly anticipated match,” Maillot said.

“It will be an opportunity for us to see where we are and to prepare for the rest of the adventure of the French team.”

England (from): Savannah Andrade, Keara Bennett, Leah Burke, Jodie Cunningham (captain), Hollie-Mae Dodd, Grace Field, Amy Hardcastle, Zoe Harris, Shona Hoyle, Tara Jones, Vicky Molyneux, Eboni Partington, Sinead Peach, Tara-Jane Stanley, Tamzin Renouf, Georgia Roche, Emily Rudge, Vicky Whitfield, Olivia Wood.

France (from): Elisa Akpa, Laureane Biville, Margot Canal, Lauriane Canet, Cloe Guillerot, Tallis Kuresa, Ines Legout, Sarah Menaa, Lise Michel, Zoe Pastre Courtine, Mahault Pommier, Perle Ramazeilles, Fanny Ramos, Alice Rieunaud, Justine Roses, Dorine Samarra, Manon Samarra, Salome Segala, Amael Vilanove, Nabila Zaghdoudi.

Watch England Women against France (2pm) followed by England’s men taking on the same opponent (4.30pm) live on Sky Sports Arena from 1.30pm and stream on NOW TV.