The squads have been announced for the Autumn European Test Series between France, Ireland and Scotland. All three are looking to blood newcomers with the 2013 World Cup on the horizon. Seventeen of Bobbie Goulding’s 30-man squad are from engage Super League side Catalan Dragons including boom teenage hooker Eloi Pelissier (pictured), one of 11 debutants.
“It’s a strong squad,” said Goulding, who took over in 2009 and has seen his French side compete in a Four Nations and last year’s European Cup where they lost out narrowly to the Welsh. “It’s a squad that can play, and we have to compete in all our matches,” he continued. Goulding’s men will also face England Knights for the first time in the autumn and the former Great Britain scrum-half is under no illusion as to the threat they will pose. “The Knights players have over 1200 Super League games between them. Ten players have appeared in the Challenge Cup final or the Super League Grand Final so it’s going to be tough.”
The core of Les Bleus have been together for a while but another exciting newcomer is Melbourne stand-off Dane Chisolm, who qualifies through his mother and will head to Europe once the Storm’s season is over. “He’ll swim over if he has to,” said Goulding, expressing the youngster’s enthusiasm to join the French ranks. “He’s being chased by the Catalans, North Queensland and Wakefield, he’s a real talent. He can play anywhere in the backs and has got all the skills.”
There are 13 uncapped players in the Irish squad including St Helens youngster Nathan Ashe, Leeds Rhinos prop Kyle Amor – who has been on loan with Wakefield – and the Wildcats’ Stuart Howarth. Alongside them, the likes of Aaron McCloskey and Ian Cross, who have signed with St Helens from the Irish domestic competition, are given their bow alongside North Dublin Eagle Joe Taylor who has trialled at Harlequins and Leeds.
Newly appointed Ireland coach Mark Aston, who will make his debut in the competition commented, “We are looking forward to the challenges ahead of us this year. The squad is a good mix of domestic players, new young players and some experience to guide the team along the way. The experience will come from championship duo Bob Beswick and Liam Finn who have 30 caps between them and have been an integral part of the Wolfhounds since the 2008 World Cup. I will be looking for both do the same in our lead up to the next one.”
Scotland have named 16 uncapped players in their squad with Castleford’s exciting teenage hooker Daryl Clark and Wakefield centre Josh Griffin among just five faces totally new to the Scotland set-up. Clark’s team mate 18-year-old Ben Blackmore, Josh Barlow of Halifax and Swinton’s former England U16s rugby union full-back Alex Hurst are the other new recruits, w the other 11 uncapped players who having appeared for Scotland at lower levels.
Clark made an explosive start to his Super League career earlier this year, drawing plaudits from experts throughout the game and also highly rated is Oxford-born Griffin, younger brother of England prop Darrell. Clark’s Castleford team-mate Paul Jackson brings a decade of Super League nous to the squad, while young Wakefield half-back Gareth Moore returns after missing last year’s campaign.
With Danny Brough selected by England and Ben Fisher having an off-season operation, McCormack looks set to return to his successful 2009 creative unit, with Gareth Moore, John Duffy and record cap winner Andrew Henderson in the pivot roles. The squad is further evidence of the work being done by Scotland Rugby League’s development team. Nine of them have played for Scotland ‘A’, eight have donned the shirt for Scotland Students and Hull FC pair Chad McGlame and Crawford Matthews and Hull KR flier David Scott are all stepping up from Scotland Under-18s. Former Easterhouse Panthers products McGlame and Scott are among five players in the party who learned to play rugby league in Scotland. The squad will go into camp at Heriot-Watt University the week before playing Ireland at Scotstoun Stadium in Glasgow.
RLEF AUTUMN EUROPEAN TEST SERIES
Scotland v Ireland – Sunday October 16 – Scotstoun, Glasgow (2pm)
France v Scotland – Saturday October 29 – Gilbert Brutus, Perpignan (3pm)
Ireland v France – Saturday November 5 – Thomond Park, Limerick (8pm)
IRELAND SQUAD
Liam Harrison (Barrow Raiders), George Flanagan (Batley Bulldogs), Damien Blanch (Catalan Dragons), Elliott Cosgrove (Dewsbury Rams), Liam Finn (Featherstone Rovers), Ryan Fieldhouse, James Haley, Paul Handforth, Bob Beswick (Halifax RLFC), Jamie O’Callaghan, Jason Golden (Harlequins RL), Gregg McNally (Huddersfield Giants), Luke Ambler, Kyle Amor, Callum Casey (Leeds Rhinos), Joe Taylor (North Dublin Eagles), Paddy Boyle (Oxford RL), Nathan Ashe, Aaron McCloskey, Ian Cross (St Helens), Sean Gleeson, Ryan Boyle (Salford City Reds), Vinny Finnigan, Tim Bergin (Sheffield Eagles), Ged Corcoran (Toulouse), Lemeki Vaipulu (Treaty City Titans), Stewart Howarth (Wakfield Trinity Wildcats), Tyrone McCarthy (Warrington Wolves), Kurt Hegarty, Simon Finnegan (Widnes Vikings)
FRANCE SQUAD
Olivier Arnaud (Avignon), Olivier Elima (Bradford), Romaric Bemba, Teddy Sadaoui (AS Carcassonne), Thibaut Ancely, Jean Philippe Baile, Jason Baitieri, Thomas Bosc, Remi Casty, Vincent Duport, Jamal Fakir, Tony Gigot, Cyril Gossard, Eloi Pelissier, Mickael Simon, Cyril Stacul, Frederic Vaccari (Dragons Catalans), Andrew Bentley, Kane Bentley, Julian Bousquet, Damien Cardace, Florian Quintilla, Mickael Tribillac (FC Lezignan), Maxime Herold (Limoux), Dane Chisolm (Melbourne Storm), Maxime Greseque (SM Pia), Thibaud Margalet (St Esteve XIII Catalan), Kevin Larroyer, Gregory White (Toulouse Olympique).
SCOTLAND SQUAD
Josh Barlow, Sam Barlow (Halifax), Ben Blackmore, Daryl Clark, Paul Jackson (Castleford), Brad Massey (Coventry Bears), Nick Broere, Callum Cockburn, Paddy Coupar, Giles Lomax (Edinburgh Eages), Neil Lowe (Hunslet), Crawford Matthews, Chad McGlane (Hull FC), David Scott (Hull KR), John Duffy (Leigh), Dave Arnot (London Skolars), Jordan Rice, Mike Stewart (Scotland Students), Andrew Henderson, Jack Howieson, Mich Stringer, Alex Szostak (Sheffield Eages), Alex Hurst, Lee Paterson (Swinton), Josh Griffin, Gareth Moore (Wakefield), Brett Carter (Workington Town), Jack Stearman (York Knights)