England V France preview: Here are the Wigan Warriors players involved in this weekend's double-header

The event on Saturday will be the first outing for both the men’s and women’s teams since their Rugby League World Cup semi-final defeats back in November.

Both Shaun Wane and Stuart Barrow will be looking ahead to the 2025 France World Cup, as well as focusing on the short-term.

Here is some of the key information ahead of the game:

Kick off times

The women’s game gets underway at 2pm, while the men are set to follow at 4.30pm.

Wigan Warriors representation

A number of Wigan Warriors players are set to be in action throughout Saturday afternoon.

For the women, Vicky Molyneux has been named in the England squad.

The loose forward was part of the side that were defeated by New Zealand in the semi-final in York last year.

Discussing her international future, she said: “There were thoughts that I might retire after the World Cup because you want to finish on something big, as it’s such a tough decision to make, however I’ve worked hard on my fitness.

“I’m feeling strong and I’m feeling good, so I’ll let my body decide when it’s time to give up.”

In the men’s fixture, Wigan could have up to six representatives.

Kai Pearce-Paul is recalled after being involved in the World Cup, where he featured in the victory over Greece at Bramall Lane.

Meanwhile, Ethan Havard, Toby King, Harry Smith, Morgan Smithies and Jake Wardle are among the 15 uncapped players named in Wane’s squad.

Other notable players

The France game could be George Williams’ first outing as England captain, after being named as Sam Tomkins’ successor last week.

He impressed during last year’s World Cup, and has taken that form into this season’s Super League campaign with Warrington Wolves.

The former Wigan scrum-half is among the four players to have previously represented England in a test- along with Pearce-Paul, Jack Welsby and Ben Currie.

The coaches

Saturday’s game will be Stuart Barrow’s first test as the head coach of England Women.

He was appointed in the role earlier this year following Craig Richards’ departure at the conclusion of the World Cup.

As for the men, Wane took over the England job in 2020, but was disrupted by the Covid-19 pandemic during his first few years.

Prior to this role, the former Great Britain prop spent eight seasons as Wigan Warriors head coach, winning three Super League Grand Finals and one Challenge Cup.

At last year’s World Cup, he guided England to the semi-finals, where they were defeated by Samoa at the Emirates.

Meanwhile, Laurent Frayssinous has been the head coach of France since 2021, and was previously in charge of Catalans Dragons between 2013 and 2017.

The retired fullback also represented his nation on a number of occasions during his playing career, including the 2000 World Cup.

Alongside his duties with France, he is also Paul Wellens’ assistant coach at St Helens.

Wane discusses his squad selection

Wane is hoping his youthful squad will benefit from the experience of both the match itself and being involved in the camp.

“I’m going with an exciting young side, with the 2025 World Cup in mind,” he said.

“I’m hoping the fans embrace it and support them, especially the ones making their debuts.

“It’s not just about the test match, it’s about the camp where they are going to get a lot of information.

“They are going to be training and playing with really good players.

“Some embrace camp life, and some don’t, so we need to find that out.

“When I was with Wigan, I handed out loads of debuts, and that’s something I’m very proud of.

“I picked a lot of players in last year’s World Cup who were over 30, and that’s not really my way as a coach.

“The fact is, they were the form players.

“I’m hoping 90 percent of the squad for 2025 would’ve been in the 40-man for this France game.”

Previous meetings

England Women went head-to-head with France in last year’s mid-season international.

Amy Hardcastle and Georgia Roche both went over for braces in the 36-10 win at the Halliwell Jones Stadium.

Hollie-Mae Dodd, Caitlin Beevers and Fran Goldthorp were also on the scoresheet.

The men’s teams also met last year, as they faced off in the group stage of the World Cup, with Wane’s side claiming a 42-18 victory at the University of Bolton Stadium.

Ryan Hall and Dom Young claimed two tries each, while Luke Thompson, Elliott Whitehead and Victor Radley all went over as well.

Head-to-head record

England Women have a strong record against France.

In the 19 previous meetings between the two sides they have never been defeated, having won 18 and drawn one.

As for the men, England have come out on top in their last 21 games against France, whose last win in this fixture came in a 5-1 European Championship victory at Headingley back in 1981.

Where to watch

Both games are being broadcast live on Sky Sports Arena, with coverage getting underway at 1.30pm.

Elsewhere this weekend

Wigan Warriors fans still have a fixture to look forward to this weekend, as the reserves welcome Wakefield Trinity to Robin Park Arena.

Ryan Hampshire is set to be one of the players involved in the game, as he looks to get some minutes under his belt as part of his recovery from an ACL injury.

Meanwhile, on Sunday, the club’s wheelchair reserves are on the road, with a fixture lined up against Rochdale Hornets.