England take on France in their first step towards the 2025 World Cup in France.
It is England’s first game since their heartbreaking World Cup semi-final to Samoa.
Kick-off time and TV Channel
The game kicks off at 16:30 after the women’s clash.
Meanwhile Sky Sports will be showing both games back to back.
Team News
Shaun Wane has named a new-look 19-player squad.
With only Ben Currie, Kai Pearce-Paul, Jack Welsby and captain George Williams having previously represented England in a Test Match, as many as 15 players could earn their first England caps.
Betfred Super League leaders Wigan Warriors have six players included in Wane’s squad and five of them – Ethan Havard, Toby King, Harry Smith, Morgan Smithies and Jake Wardle – could all receive their first caps. Wardle, a try-scorer for England in last season’s non-Test status international against the Combined Nations All Stars, has scored four tries in ten games this year for his new club.
Williams and Currie are joined by uncapped Warrington teammates Matty Ashton, James Harrison, Matty Nicholson, Josh Thewlis and Danny Walker. Four of the previously uncapped Wolves have impressed for the Knights in recent seasons whilst Harrison has been a standout at the Halliwell Jones Stadium since his 2022 move from Betfred Championship side Featherstone Rovers.
Also pushing for first international caps are Hull Kingston Rovers duo Jez Litten and Mikey Lewis, both of whom featured for Paul Anderson’s England Knights in wins against France and Scotland last year.
Ash Handley and Tom Holroyd are included from Leeds Rhinos, whilst Tyler Dupree’s impressive form with Salford Red Devils earns him a call-up. World Club Champions St Helens have a sole representative in the shape of full-back Jack Welsby, Super League’s Young Player of the Year for the past two seasons.
England squad in full:
Matty Ashton, Ben Currie (both Warrington Wolves), Tyler Dupree (Salford Red Devils), Ash Handley (Leeds Rhinos), James Harrison (Warrington Wolves), Ethan Havard (Wigan Warriors), Tom Holroyd (Leeds Rhinos), Toby King (Wigan Warriors), Mikey Lewis, Jez Litten (both Hull KR), Matty Nicholson (Warrington Wolves), Kai Pearce-Paul, Harry Smith, Morgan Smithies (all Wigan Warriors), Josh Thewlis, Danny Walker (both Warrington Wolves), Jake Wardle (Wigan Warriors), Jack Welsby (St Helens), George Williams (Warrington Wolves).
The French coaching staff have named a squad of 20 players to face England this Saturday at Warrington Wolves’ Halliwell Jones Stadium.
There were concerns raised earlier this week that France were set to name a weakened squad with reports claiming Catalans Dragons and Toulouse Olympique would withdraw players.
However, of the 20 man squad, 10 are Catalans players.
Meanwhile, fellow Super League stars Justin Sangare of Leeds Rhinos and Samisoni Langi of Wakefield Trinity are named in the squad.
Five members of the squad are from the Championship including Mathiue Cozza of Featherstone Rovers and Louis Jouffret of Halifax Panthers.
Meanwhile, former Catalans first teamers Roman Franco and Benjamin Jullien have also been named.
The squad:
SHAN Tiaki (Catalan Dragons) COZZA Mathieu (Featherstone Rovers) DEZARIA Jordan (Catalan Dragons) FRANCO Romain (Saint-Estève XIII Catalan) GOUDEMAND Mickael (Catalan Dragons) JOUFFRET Louis (Halifax Panthers) JULLIEN Benjamin (Pia XIII) JUSSAUME Mathieu (Toulouse Olympique XIII) LAGUERRE Matthieu (Catalan Dragons) LANGI Samisoni (Wakefield Trinity) MARCON Paul (Toulouse Olympique XIII) MARION Anthony (Toulouse Olympique XIII) MOURGUE Arthur (Catalan Dragons) ROMANO Arthur (Catalan Dragons) ROUGÉ César (Catalan Dragons) SANGARÉ Justin (Leeds Rhinos) SCIMONE Bastien (Catalan Dragons) TISON Ugo (Catalan Dragons) VAILHEN Florian (Pia XIII) ZENON Tanguy (Catalan Dragons)
