England to Face France in Toulouse Clash on One Key Condition
As the French Rugby League Federation celebrates its 90th anniversary, England will travel to Toulouse tomorrow evening to lock horns with the French national team. However, head coach Laurent Frayssinous has revealed that the game is only going ahead due to France adhering to a specific condition set by England.
The match at Stade Ernest-Wallon will kick off at 6 pm local time, 5 pm in England, preceded by a women’s clash between the two nations and followed by a fixture between Toulouse Olympique and Featherstone Rovers. While it represents a welcome outing for Shaun Wane’s England side, the head coach will not be present, as he underwent an operation earlier this week, with Andy Last set to lead the team.
Frayssinous told French publication L’Independant that England were initially reluctant to face France, only agreeing to the fixture on the condition that the hosts field their strongest possible squad. This comes after England’s dominant 64-0 victory over a young French team in 2023.
“If we can stay in the arm wrestle and go nose to nose with them until the hour mark, we will be able to profit from our strengths and their weaknesses to win,” expressed Frayssinous.
This time, France have named a significantly stronger lineup, with 13 players from Catalans Dragons and one from the Sydney Roosters joining the squad. Frayssinous expressed confidence in his side’s ability to compete, stating, “If we can stay in the arm wrestle and go nose to nose with them until the hour mark, we will be able to profit from our strengths and their weaknesses to win.”
Despite the 22 consecutive defeats against England since 1981, the French head coach believes this encounter presents an opportunity to make history and celebrate the federation’s 90th anniversary in style.
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