England set for France Tests as calendar takes shape

France v England Test double-header

Venue: Stade Ernest-Wallon, Toulouse Date: Saturday, 29 June Kick-off: 14:30 BST (women), 17:00 BST (men)

England men's rugby convention caput coach Shaun Wane could beryllium forgiven for looking enviously astatine shot counterpart Gareth Southgate.

Southgate - presently piloting nan nationalist squad done nan European Championship - is afforded regular warm-up fixtures successful nan tourney lead-up, and afterwards it will beryllium consecutive into World Cup qualifying. It tin beryllium a relentless schedule, but it is simply a regular one.

Rugby convention remains an enigma to an grade astatine that level, wherever beardown nine games successful some bluish and confederate hemispheres person not ever translated to joined-up reasoning connected a world scale.

Thankfully for Wane, nan crippled is opening to organise its world almanac too, pinch nan International Board starting to laic down a building of fixtures.

There will beryllium 3 matches to bask for fans of Wane's squad this year, starting pinch France successful Toulouse connected Saturday, and 2 Tests against 2021 World Cup finalists Samoa successful nan autumn.

Next year, England's men and women will circuit Australia, reviving nan Ashes bid concept.

"To get a existent world almanac is truthful important for nan game," Wane told nan BBC Radio 5 Live Rugby League podcast during nan build-up to Saturday's match.

"The conversations I'm having pinch players now are much aggravated erstwhile we're picking teams and it's a batch much enjoyable."

The level to Toulouse will beryllium a engaged 1 fixed that England are playing a double-header, pinch Stu Barrow's women's squad making nan trip.

With master standards being introduced into nan Super League, including payments for players and amended accommodation being made available, nan women's crippled is connected nan rise.

England's squad features nan accustomed suspects - Jodie Cunningham, Emily Rudge and Shona Hoyle, for illustration - but besides a harvest of uncapped talent.

Teenager Isabel Rowe is an breathtaking stand-off from Wigan, and St Helens' Katie Mottershead has besides caught nan oculus pinch her activity astatine hooker.

"We've sewage a batch of girls that aren't up for action because of wounded and different things and yet we've still sewage a ridiculous magnitude of talent successful nan group," Cunningham said.

"For maine arsenic a elder player, 1 of nan things that has changed is nan spot successful extent we person now that conscionable hasn't been location before. Players who person been successful nan squad for a agelong clip person to support raising our standards because those young players are really pushing."

Barrow is astatine pains to constituent retired this Test is not "an experiment", alternatively a captious chance to measure immoderate caller faces who could look and make nan difference.

There is anticipation that a further Test lucifer will beryllium arranged to coincide pinch nan autumn men's series, arsenic good arsenic mid-season opportunities adjacent twelvemonth earlier nan women subordinate nan men's broadside connected a dual Ashes circuit to look Australia.

"They've earned their opportunity to beryllium successful there, and it will beryllium a awesome juncture for them connected Saturday," Barrow said.

"We're each astir maintaining our standards, our world standards that we've group ourselves internally arsenic a group and they will person to autumn into that, guided by nan leaders, to deed those standards connected Saturday."

England's men signed disconnected for 2023 pinch a 3-0 bid drubbing of Tonga, who had starring NRL lights Addin Fonua-Blake, Tyson Frizell and Felise Kaufusi successful their ranks.

The France crippled will beryllium nan first chance for Wane to tie together immoderate of that group for a competitory outing, and will characteristic a squad drawn exclusively from Super League clubs alternatively than utilizing immoderate of nan confederate hemisphere-based contingent.

There person been a fewer left-field selections. At 27, Castleford centre Sam Wood is nary youngster emerging connected nan segment - but has earned a call-up acknowledgment to his shape for Hull KR earlier wounded past season, and successful a slow processing Tigers broadside this year.

At nan different extremity of nan standard is St Helens front-rower George Delaney, who has played conscionable 44 games and only turned 20 successful February. However, he's not looked retired of spot among England forwards specified arsenic Alex Walmsley and Matty Lees.

There is besides a first action for Elliot Minchella, Hull KR's influential skipper and ball-playing loose-forward, positive Leeds back-rower James McDonnell, Huddersfield prop Oliver Wilson and Wigan's fierce and defensively sound Brad O'Neill astatine hooker.

"Success for maine will beryllium seeing things I want to spot - location are definite things I look for, without giving excessively overmuch away," Wane added.

"I person England standards, which each nan players will cognize about: I don't for illustration missing opportunities, I for illustration my D [defence] to beryllium intense, and pressured.

"So location are definite non-negotiables which I want to see. I want to spot that against France, and if nan players tin present that successful that game, it gives them a really bully chance to beryllium selected for Samoa."

The inducement is location for Super League's English talent, and nan extent will beryllium invited to Wane for those large games successful nan adjacent fewer years.