Shaun Wane’s England Men face France on Saturday as part of a Mid-Season International double-header at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Ahead of the game, we take a closer look at our opponents…
Head Coach
Les Bleus are coached by Laurent Frayssinous, former Head Coach of Catalans Dragons from 2013-2017. Upon his appointment at the Stade Gilbert Brutus, he was the youngest coach in Super League at just 35-years-old.
As a player, Frayssinous represented the Dragons and Villeneuve, and was part of the Catalans team that reached the 2006 Challenge Cup Quarter-Finals.
Key Players
Arthur Mourgue and Justin Sangare are two Super League players that have been included in France’s squad to face England.
23-year-old halfback stroke fullback Mourgue currently plies his trade with the Catalans Dragons and is one of the team’s most dangerous players, having scored twice at last year’s Rugby League World Cup, whilst Leeds Rhinos man Sangare is an established Super League forward and will add quality to the French pack.
One To Watch
Halfback Louis Jouffret has been in sublime form so far in 2023. The Halifax Panthers man has registered six tries in 12 appearances this season, two of which came in the Panthers’ 26-0 win against the Bradford Bulls last weekend.
The 27-year-old has a knack of finding gaps in an opposition defensive line, particularly through carries and clean breaks, so the England backline will need to be on top form to prevent Jouffret from having an influence at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.
Last Meeting
England last faced France during in their second Group A fixture during last year’s Rugby League World Cup.
Tries from Ryan Hall (x2), Dom Young (x2), Luke Thompson, Elliott Whitehead, and Victor Radley, plus seven goals from Marc Sneyd secured a 42-18 victory in front of 23,648 fans at the University of Bolton Stadium.
France did claim three tries through Catalans Dragons’ Arthur Mourgue and Arthur Romano, as well as Toulouse Olympique’s Eloi Pelissier, but Shaun Wane’s side would claim the two points that effectively secured them a spot in the Quarter-Finals.
France Squad
Tiaki Chan (Catalans Dragons), Mathieu Cozza (Featherstone Rovers), Jordan Dezaria (Catalans Dragons), Romain Franco (Saint-Estève XIII Catalan), Mickael Goudemand (Catalans Dragons), Louis Jouffret (Halifax Panthers), Benjamin Jullien (Pia XIII), Mathieu Jussaume (Toulouse Olympique), Matthieu Laguerre (Catalans Dragons), Samisoni Langi (Wakefield Trinity), Paul Marcon (Toulouse Olympique), Anthony Marion (Toulouse Olympique), Arthur Mourgue (Catalans Dragons), Arthur Romano (Catalans Dragons), César Rougé (Catalans Dragons), Justin Sangaré (Leeds Rhinos),Bastien Scimone (Catalans Dragons), Ugo Tison (Catalans Dragons), Florian Vailhen (Pia XIII), Tanguy Zenon (Catalans Dragons)
Tickets for the Women’s and Men’s international double-header at Warrington’s Halliwell Jones Stadium are available to buy online now from only £20 Adults and £10 Under 16s. For every ticket sold, £2.50 will be donated to the MND Association. Cash turnstiles will also be in operation on the day.
The Women’s match kicks off first at 2pm, followed by the Men’s at 4.30, with live and exclusive coverage of both games on Sky Sports Arena from 1.30pm.
