“I’d love nothing more than to go over there and try beat them” – Shaun Wane calls for return tour to Tonga

Just minutes after his side had defeated Tonga at Headingley to tie up a 3-0 series win, England’s head coach Shaun Wane was petitioning to go down under and beat Kristian Woolf’s side in their own back yard.

It highlighted the passion that Wane had shown throughout the test series, often engaging in a battle of words with Woolf, whilst also speaking of the pride in his team and the ‘club feel’ within the national team set-up.

“I’ve coached at Club Rugby level and Super League level and this is another level, this is so enjoyable. To get the trust of a lot of players from different clubs is just so enjoyable to me,” Wane explained.

When asked what was next for England and his ambitions as head coach Wane, who was perhaps riding on the crest of the victory declared: “We’ll get stronger, we’ll be stronger for Samoa next year.

“I’d love to play three tests in Tonga, nothing I’d love more than to go over there and try to beat them in Tonga, I’m just trying to get a trip to Tonga really here.”

It would certainly be a spectacle to see England travel down under and face Tonga, particularly given how much discussion there has been over the English conditions and how it affected Tonga’s playstyle in terms of both the weather and the refereeing.

He was well aware of the importance of the international game in the larger scope and growth of the sport as well, explaining: “I think it’s so important firstly for RL Commercial, the RFL and the international board to get these games on. We just need to fill these grounds and we’ll get a great atmosphere. The memories of the World Cup last year, turning up to play Greece at Sheffield with a massive, with a big crowd on, it’s just the best.”

On his plans for 2024 and what the future holds beyond next season, Wane told the media: “Well, I’m hoping it’s a mid-season game, then Samoa, and then I’m hoping there’s an Ashes series in Australia, I hope, and then the World Cup.

“So there’s obviously an appetite for it, and the game needs it. The game needs it. You look at that game today, and it was an outstanding game. All the spectators will go home and be really, really happy. So a lot of people deserve a lot of credit.”