Paul Cooke
Former England international on SuperLeague+

This promises to be a much closer Test for me than the women’s match was. Shaun Wane’s put his faith in four debutants. When you look down the French line-up, it’s strong with the Catalan contingent, so I think this’ll be a really interesting Test match, and I think France will fancy this.

We are a few minutes from getting under way in Toulouse.

The crowd remains very sparse, I'm sorry to report. Perhaps they are saving themselves for Toulouse v Featherstone Rovers in the RFL Championship, which is on after this one.

• England have won their last 22 meetings with France.
• France's last victory against England was a 5-1 European Championship win at Headingley on 21 February, 1981.
• England have also won their last nine away meetings with France.
• France's last home victory against England was a 28-15 European Championship win at Stade Albert Dome, Carcassonne, on 20 March, 1977.
• Today's double header marks part of celebrations to celebrate 90 years of French rugby league.

St Helens prop George Delaney (right in pic) has earned his first senior England call-up as part of a fresh-faced squad to take on France in Toulouse. He has been named as the 18th player today, meaning he will make his debut if three England players suffer concussions.

Delaney's call-up is reward for an outstanding season with his club, establishing himself as a regular in Saints head coach Paul Wellens' front row.

The 20-year-old, who joined the St Helens academy aged 15, made his first-team debut in April 2022 and later that year represented England Knights against Scotland.

He returned to Saints the following season to play 18 Super League matches following a loan spell in the Championship with Swinton.

Last August, he signed a contract committing him to Saints until 2026, and he has missed just three matches this season.

Image source, Getty Images

England's men signed off for 2023 with a 3-0 series drubbing of Tonga, who had leading NRL lights Addin Fonua-Blake, Tyson Frizell and Felise Kaufusi in their ranks.

The France game will be the first chance for England coach Shaun Wane to draw together some of that group for a competitive outing, and will feature a squad drawn exclusively from Super League clubs rather than using any of the southern hemisphere-based contingent.

"Success for me will be seeing things I want to see - there are certain things I look for, without giving too much away," Wane said.

"I have England standards, which all the players will know about: I don't like missing opportunities, I like my D [defence] to be intense, and pressured.

"So there are certain non-negotiables which I want to see. I want to see that against France, and if the players can deliver that in that game, it gives them a really good chance to be selected for Samoa."

England play today for the first time since completing a series whitewash over Tonga in November last year. And for a while, it looked like this France fixture would be the only one they would play in 2024.

But after much uncertainty and negotiation, Shaun Wane's side will face a two-Test series against Samoa later this year, with the first match at Wigan's Brick Community Stadium on Sunday, 27 October, and the second at Headingley in Leeds the following Saturday.

Next year, England's men and women will tour Australia, reviving the Ashes series concept. Suddenly, something resembling a proper international calendar is emerging.

"To get a real international calendar is so important for the game," Wane told the BBC Radio 5 Live Rugby League podcast during the build-up to this match.

"The conversations I'm having with players now are more intense when we're picking teams and it's a lot more enjoyable."

Image source, SWpix

England captain George Williams takes BBC Sport inside the camp as the men's team prepare for Saturday's mid-season international against France in Toulouse.

One of the things I enjoy is that mentorship side of being captain.

I missed the first two Tests against Tonga last year as I was suspended, but looking back, it was good for me to get around some of the younger lads, such as Harry Smith and Mikey Lewis. I feel quite old now looking around the team.

It was good from a leadership side of things, helping where I could. I was still talking in meetings but obviously not playing.

It's down to me to suss out what people need. When [St Helens full-back] Jack Welsby came in, he was a young kid but really confident. I didn't really need to tell him too much. Our game is pretty similar, we read the same things, so we play really well together. I know Mikey Lewis was nervous coming in, but he did a really great job.

Some need more than others, but it's about making players feel at ease, letting them realise they're here for a reason and what they've been doing is working, so stick with it.

You can read more of Williams' exclusive BBC Sport column here.

England captain George Williams takes BBC Sport inside the camp as the men's team prepare for Saturday's mid-season international against France in Toulouse.

This week is one I've been looking forward to since it was announced. The chance to go into camp for a game against France as England captain.

It's not something you ever take for granted, but sometimes you get a reminder of how special it is.

One of the young lads came up to me at Warrington and asked: "What's it like to be England captain?" And it threw me off a little bit.

I was like - phew - it's a massive thing. I'm unbelievably proud.

It makes me reflect on where I've come from. Everyone's got different stories, but to be England captain is very special.

You can read more of Williams' exclusive BBC Sport column here.

Image source, Getty Images

England coach Shaun Wane has selected a squad with plenty of young players, doing so with an eye towards the 2026 World Cup.

A new-look squad includes five players earning their first England call-ups - with three of them starting today.

Wane said: "I’m pleased with the squad we’ve brought together for this mid-season international. There is a strong balance between some more experienced international players and some newer faces to the England squad."

England 64, France 0 (29/4/23)

(at Halliwell Jones Stadium, Warrington)

England 42, France 18 (World Cup, 22/10/22)

(at University of Bolton Stadium)

France 10, England 30 (23/10/21)

(at Stade Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan)

England 44, France 6 (17/10/18)

(at Leigh Sports Village)

England 36, France 6 (World Cup, 12/11/17)

(at Perth Rectangular Stadium)

There is one very notable absence from the sidelines for today's match.

England men's head coach Shaun Wane has not travelled to Toulouse as he recovers from an ankle operation.

Assistant Andy Last will lead a 19-man squad in the absence of Wane, who had surgery on Tuesday and had to miss a training get-together in Wigan on Wednesday.

Last said: "We've had a bit of a different build-up to this week's Test match with Shaun having to leave camp, but the players have really stepped up and it really has been business as usual."

Hull KR hooker Jez Litten will also miss the Test, having withdrawn from the squad because of illness.

Image source, Getty Images

Phil Cartwright
BBC Sport

England proved far too strong for France in Toulouse, scoring eight tries in a dominant 42-0 victory.

Wigan winger Anna Davies crossed either side of half-time, while fellow international debutant Georgie Hetherington touched down in the first half.

Amy Hardcastle, Zoe Harris, Paige Travis, Eboni Partington and Emily Rudge were England's other try-scorers as they continued their undefeated record against France in women's internationals.

Teenager Isabel Rowe, another player handed her debut, converted five of England's eight scores.

Image source, SWPix

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Castleford Tigers centre Sam Wood is one of three debutants in the starting line-up, along with, Wigan Warriors hooker Brad O'Neill and Hull KR loose forward Elliot Minchella - while Huddersfield Giants forward Oliver Wilson is set to make his England bow from the bench.

St Helens prop George Delaney is the 18th player, Leeds Rhinos forward James McDonnell hasn't made the teamsheet.

England XIII: Welsby, Johnston, Wood, Newman, Handley, Williams (c), Smith, Thompson, O'Neill, Lees, Currie, Nicholson, Minchella.

Interchanges: Lewis, Harrison, Dupree, Wilson.

What's that, you fancy another one?

It's time for the second match in our international rugby league live text double header.

England face France in Toulouse, and now it's the men's turn with kick off in around 30 minutes.

No rest for the wicked, let's get right into it.