England vs France & European Championship news

[latingringo101]

England were 36-6 winners over France during last year's World Cup
England will warm up for the visit of New Zealand in the autumn with an international against France on October 20.

The game, which will be held in England a week before the first of three Tests against the Kiwis, will enable coach Wayne Bennett to give run-outs to his NRL-based players and those not involved in the Super League Grand Final a week earlier.

It will be England's first meeting with the French since their 36-6 victory in the group stages of the 2017 World Cup in Perth last November.



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France coach Aurelien Cologni, who got his players together in Les Barcares this week, was forced to take a vastly under-strength squad to Australia but is expected to have the services of captain Remi Casty, as well as Tony Gigot and Morgan Escare who all missed the World Cup for the autumn internationals.

The French are also set to play England Knights as well as Scotland, Ireland and Wales in the European Championship before rounding off a busy period with a Test match against New Zealand on November 17.

Jermaine Mcgillvary scored twice in England's World Cup victory over France last November
"The French Tests have been good for us over the last couple of years and we've got to keep persevering with them," said former England captain Kevin Sinfield, now the Rugby Football League's director of rugby.

"It should be good prep for them going into a European Championship and it will certainly be good for ourselves to get a hit-out going into the New Zealand series."

 

[Burns]

Gee some dates for the European Championship would be good.

Less said about the England Knights said the better.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I really like how the RFL calls Sinfield the director of Rugby. The respective NRL position is called the head of Football.

I know it's nit-picking and I don't want to start a 'name of the game' thread but our sport is a form of Rugby and the RFL have got it right.

 

[East Coast Tiger]

I really like how the RFL calls Sinfield the director of Rugby. The respective NRL position is called the head of Football.

I know it's nit-picking and I don't want to start a 'name of the game' thread but our sport is a form of Rugby and the RFL have got it right.

Pretty sure it’s a form of football too.

 

[adamkungl]

I can't work out how this Euro Cup is going to function. Suckers for proper process like Mascord are gonna blow their tops.

Option A - Due to Knights involvement, no matches in the tournament will be granted Test status.
Since it counts for nothing, the other 5 teams struggle to convince clubs to release top players. Tournament loses any interest and value outside of the northern heartlands.

Option B - Due to Knights involvement, matches featuring the Knights are not granted Test status, but others are.
As a result of this farcical situation, Rugby League is quite rightly laughed at by all.

Option C - Despite being branded 'Knights' and England playing NZ in a simultaneous series, all matches featuring the Knights are counted as full Tests with results counting on England's record. Other nations take it seriously and have some sway with clubs over releasing top players.

If a top 3 nation wants to field a B-team against full strength nations, Option C is the ONLY acceptable way to do it.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

I can't work out how this Euro Cup is going to function. Suckers for proper process like Mascord are gonna blow their tops.

Option A - Due to Knights involvement, no matches in the tournament will be granted Test status.
Since it counts for nothing, the other 5 teams struggle to convince clubs to release top players. Tournament loses any interest and value outside of the northern heartlands.

Option B - Due to Knights involvement, matches featuring the Knights are not granted Test status, but others are.
As a result of this farcical situation, Rugby League is quite rightly laughed at by all.

Option C - Despite being branded 'Knights' and England playing NZ in a simultaneous series, all matches featuring the Knights are counted as full Tests with results counting on England's record. Other nations take it seriously and have some sway with clubs over releasing top players.

If a top 3 nation wants to field a B-team against full strength nations, Option C is the ONLY acceptable way to do it.

I wouldn't mind option C - forget the Knights part - they are just the England test team. Yes, the argument will be that it cheapens the England shirt but it does RL and the tournament a world of good. The England side will still be very tough to beat.

I would be in favour of Australia and New Zealand doing something similar if it was deemed beneficial for them to compete in a Pacific Cup.

Doing things like this is part of growing up as an international sport. Some, if not all football (Soccer) nations use large numbers of players to get their national team through world cup qualifying. Not every side that takes the field is full-strength. No one sees this as cheapening the jersey.

 

[Pommy]

I thought the euro championship was all going to be post season, are clubs really going to have an issue with that?

 

[Springs09]

Great so the 'European Championship' has no improvements whatsoever.

Just the same teams playing in the same small stadiums with no coverage.

The only way it might be improved is if England pick a 40-man squad and play both the NZ test series and the Euro championship at the same time.

 

[Perth Tiger]

I wouldn't mind option C - forget the Knights part - they are just the England test team. Yes, the argument will be that it cheapens the England shirt but it does RL and the tournament a world of good. The England side will still be very tough to beat.

I would be in favour of Australia and New Zealand doing something similar if it was deemed beneficial for them to compete in a Pacific Cup.

Doing things like this is part of growing up as an international sport. Some, if not all football (Soccer) nations use large numbers of players to get their national team through world cup qualifying. Not every side that takes the field is full-strength. No one sees this as cheapening the jersey.

Agreed, it might be a slight cheapening of the Eng jersey but for a much larger increase in the Euro cup prestige.

And it happens in all sports. The soccerroos have played plenty of games with just an A league squad and the boomers played a tournament recently with the NBA players.

 

[adamkungl]

Nothing would be more cheapening than having a Euro tournament that counts for nothing because England wanted to give their B team some practice runs

 

[Storm13]

Could a three test match series between France and GB work while separate to England playing against NZ at all?

That would be more interesting than a European championship with Knights.

 

[deluded pom?]

I wouldn't mind option C - forget the Knights part - they are just the England test team. Yes, the argument will be that it cheapens the England shirt but it does RL and the tournament a world of good. The England side will still be very tough to beat.

I would be in favour of Australia and New Zealand doing something similar if it was deemed beneficial for them to compete in a Pacific Cup.

Doing things like this is part of growing up as an international sport. Some, if not all football (Soccer) nations use large numbers of players to get their national team through world cup qualifying. Not every side that takes the field is full-strength. No one sees this as cheapening the jersey.

How many times do soccer teams representing a nation play in two competitions/tournaments at the same time?

 

[titoelcolombiano]

How many times do soccer teams representing a nation play in two competitions/tournaments at the same time?

They don't - I've given us some slack here because we are a smaller game.

 

[Pommy]

How many times do soccer teams representing a nation play in two competitions/tournaments at the same time?

There’s a lot more than 3 legitimate competitive football teams though.
Everyone knows it’s not perfect but everybody moans if England take no part either.

 

[Pommy]

Could a three test match series between France and GB work while separate to England playing against NZ at all?

That would be more interesting than a European championship with Knights.

It’s not really doing the other home nations any favours playing as GB though.

 

[latingringo101]

They should call the Knights "England" and the First Grade Team "England".

In Football (Soccer) International teams field different strengthened teams their International Friendly games and they are ALL considered Internationals.

Playing in two different tournaments under the same National team shouldn't be any different in RL

 

[Storm13]

It’s not really doing the other home nations any favours playing as GB though.

Not sure if doing what has been tried before doing any favours either.

If GB is inevitable like many say, than a tournament where the non England first team get to play together seems more interesting than the half arsed teams that get put together every non world cup year. Good measuring stick for France also.

 

[Pommy]

Not sure if doing what has been tried before doing any favours either.

If GB is inevitable like many say, than a tournament where the non England first team get to play together seems more interesting than the half arsed teams that get put together every non world cup year. Good measuring stick for France also.

The thing is most of the best players in the home nation sides are English players not good enough to play for England in the first place.
GB should just die out, I have no idea why people want it back.
France could play a full England side mid season every year but Catalans don’t want to release their players.

 

[deluded pom?]

They don't - I've given us some slack here because we are a smaller game.

Exactly, so your comparison isn't relevant then.

 

[titoelcolombiano]

Exactly, so your comparison isn't relevant then.

Mate, don't get upset I'm just trying to think of a solution that helps everyone.

That idea helps England's depth, helps the Euro Cup and encourages players eligible for the other Euro nations to make themselves available