Shaun Wane names England squad to face France – including Castleford Tigers man

Shaun Wane has named his England squad that he will select from when the team take on France on Saturday and as promised, it features plenty of new faces with youth being promoted.

Wane has previously spoken about his intent to use the game against France to blood some new young talent with an eye on the proposed Ashes series next year and the World Cup in 2026. That had indicated that he was unlikely to rely on senior players for the match.

He had also made the admission that stars such as Jack Welsby and George Williams had “credit in the bank” which cast doubt over whether the captain and vice-captain would play on Saturday, with Wane potentially set to instead blood younger players.

We now have a clearer idea as to what sort of 17-man squad he will select for Saturday’s clash in Toulouse after he has named his training squad for the week that contains a total of 20 players with six players to be called upon for the first time.

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Shaun Wane confirms England squad with shock omissions

As promised by Wane previously, it’s a mixture of young stars and experienced names in the England squad to take on their French counterparts.

Headlined by the likes of George Williams, Mikey Lewis and Jack Welsby, the side has plenty of the best players in Super League.

It also has young talents such as George Delaney, Brad O’Neill and Matty Nicholson who could make their debuts for England’s first-team.

A shock inclusion is that of a Castleford Tigers player – the team have only managed three victories all season but are represented in the squad by centre Sam Wood, who has been impressive in recent weeks and signed from Hull KR ahead of the current season.

Marc Sneyd, meanwhile, will be disappointed not to be in the squad after his excellent season, but Elliot Minchella’s inclusion comes after a similarly excellent campaign.

Danny Walker and Daryl Clark have been overlooked at hooker, with Jez Litten selected alongside O’Neill.

Wigan Warriors stars Jake Wardle and Liam Marshall are also not selected.

The England squad, as confirmed by the RFL, can be seen below.

Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves), George Delaney (St Helens), Tyler Dupree (Wigan Warriors), Ash Handley (Leeds Rhinos), James Harrison (Warrington Wolves), Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons), Matty Lees (St Helens), Mikey Lewis, Jez Litten (both Hull KR), James McDonnell (Leeds Rhinos), Elliot Minchella (Hull KR), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Matty Nicholson (Warrington Wolves), Brad O’Neill, Harry Smith, Luke Thompson (all Wigan Warriors), Jack Welsby (St Helens), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Oliver Wilson (Huddersfield Giants), Sam Wood (Castleford Tigers).