ENGLAND boss Stuart Barrow hopes Saturday’s clash with France will provide plenty of food for thought ahead of the World Cup later this year.
Barrow’s side take on France in Toulouse (kick-off 5pm UK time) with as many as six debutants in contention to earn their first England caps.
Wigan’s Mary Coleman, Mia-Jayne Atherton, Ellise Derbyshire and Megan Williams could all feature for the first time, as could Leeds pair Ella Donnelly and Evie Cousins.
It’s not been a straightforward selection for Barrow and his team – with the likes of Grace Banks, Ruby Enright and Amelia Brown missing through injury – but he is hopeful their absences will see others grab their chance with both hands.
“It looks at people in different positions and shows us some versatility hopefully in those people, so that we then maybe consider them for the World Cup because of that,” the head coach explained of his squad selection.
“It’s good to challenge us, and I’m really excited by the squad we’ve put together.
“We’ve got six people with potential debuts in the 19, so there’ll be lots of new caps given, which is exciting and shows the progression we’re making.
“The result will definitely still be important to us, because it’s an international. We want to win and go out there and put on a good performance.”
He continued: “I expect a good performance from the girls who get selected.
“It’s going to be 6pm when we kick-off in Toulouse and it’s going to be 33 or 34 degrees – it gives us that kind of preparation to see how people handle it and how people, coming into an England camp for the first time, handle international travel and being in and around that environment.
“It gives us lots of things to look at, on and off the field, which is exciting as we build up to the World Cup at the end of the year.”
England ran out 42-0 victors in the nations’ last meeting two years ago, but Barrow is expecting a tougher test this time around.
“I think France will be better than they’ve been before,” he admitted.
“They’ve got a new coach, Alan (Walsh), who hails from Wigan originally and who has been around the French game for a long, long time.
“I’m excited to see what he brings out of this French team and what challenges they can offer us.
“I’m just excited to see how the girls react to it, how they play, and how they stay disciplined in that as well.”
And Barrow believes continued improvement in the French game will only serve to benefit England, explaining: “We’re doing everything we can to help France get better.
“With them being our local rivals, on our doorstep as such, it can only benefit England in the long run as well if we get a stronger France.
“We’ve been working together on that, and I know they’ve done a lot of work on their pathways and played some almost Origin-type games to select the squad for this.
“They’ve had more camps together, they’ve had more challenges to pick the best squad, so they’ll be excited about playing us.
“I think they’re going to come at us with a few surprises this year, which is good. We want to be tested.”
England squad: Mia Atherton (Wigan Warriors), Keara Bennett (Leeds Rhinos), Ruby Bruce (Leeds Rhinos), Mary Coleman (Wigan Warriors), Evie Cousins (Leeds Rhinos), Jodie Cunningham (St Helens), Anna Davies (Wigan Warriors), Ellise Derbyshire (Wigan Warriors), Ella Donnelly (Leeds Rhinos), Jenna Foubister (Wigan Warriors), Shona Hoyle-Holdsworth (St Helens), Eva Hunter (Wigan Warriors), Katie Mottershead (St Helens), Lucy Murray (Leeds Rhinos), Tamzin Renouf (York Valkyrie), Isabel Rowe (Wigan Warriors), Vicky Whitfield (St Helens), Megan Williams (Wigan Warriors), Georgia Wilson (Wigan Warriors)