Eight-try England beat France in mid-season Test

4 months ago 20

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Jack Welsby scores a try for England against France

Phil Cartwright

BBC Sport journalist

Mid-season international

France (8) 8

Try: Yaha; Goals: Mourgue 2

England (18) 40

Tries: Welsby 2, Handley 2, Johnstone 2, Nicholson, Williams; Goals: Smith 4

England recovered from conceding an early try to score eight times in a 40-8 win over France in Toulouse.

The visitors, led by assistant coach Andy Last with head coach Shaun Wane recovering from an ankle operation, fell behind inside three minutes when Fouad Yaha grounded a grubber kick to score in the corner.

But England found their rhythm midway through the first half and scored four tries in 11 minutes to establish a lead that they did not relinquish.

Leeds winger Ash Handley, St Helens full-back Jack Welsby and Catalans' Tom Johnstone all scored twice, while Warrington duo Matty Nicholson and captain George Williams also crossed.

Earlier, England's women beat their French counterparts 42-0 in the first game of a Test double-header between the two nations at Stade Ernest-Wallon.

England's attacking quality tells in Toulouse

With no NRL-based players involved in this mid-season international, England gave debuts to Castleford's Sam Wood at centre, Wigan hooker Brad O'Neill, Hull KR forward Elliot Minchella and Huddersfield's Oliver Wilson.

England went through spells when they were not their best, particularly in the opening minutes of both halves, but they were defensively solid for the most part and their attacking prowess told at the other end.

A French team containing plenty of Super League experience was rewarded for a fast start with an 8-0 lead after 20 minutes, with Arthur Mourgue adding a long-range penalty to his conversion of Yaha’s opener.

However, England then hit the front by scoring four unanswered tries during a scintillating spell.

Welsby's acrobatic finish got England on the scoreboard, before Harry Newman raced clear down the right touchline to set up his club team-mate Handley and put England in front for the first time in the game.

Johnstone created Handley's second by scything through France's defensive line with an astonishing burst of pace, and the winger followed that by crossing the tryline himself, collecting a floated pass from Williams to stride in unopposed in the left corner.

England errors crept in at the start of the second period but the hosts were unable to take advantage, missing an excellent opportunity to reduce the deficit when Mickael Goudemand dropped the ball over the line under pressure from Harry Smith.

Instead, Nicholson dived on Smith's kick to score next and a quick play-the-ball was the catalyst for Welsby's second under the posts.

Hull KR half-back Mikey Lewis, a star of England's series win over Tonga at the tail-end of 2023, appeared from the bench in the unfamiliar role of hooker and broke through the line to set up Williams.

And there was time for Johnstone to become the third England player to register a second try, diving in at the corner just before the final hooter.

Next on the agenda for England are two home Tests against Samoa, the team that beat them in a World Cup semi-final in 2022, in October and November.

Beyond that, they are scheduled to travel down under to face world champions Australia in 2025, then participate in the next World Cup the following year.