France v England: George Delaney called up to senior squad for first time

St Helens prop George Delaney has earned his first senior England call-up as part of a new-look squad to take on France in Toulouse on Saturday.

Castleford Tigers centre Sam Wood, Wigan Warriors hooker Brad O’Neill, Hull KR loose forward Elliot Minchella, Huddersfield Giants forward Oliver Wilson and Leeds Rhinos forward James McDonnell have also been called into Shaun Wane’s 20-strong squad.

Delaney, 20, has been rewarded for an outstanding season with his club, establishing himself as a regular in Saints head coach Paul Wellens’ front row.

Wane has selected a squad with plenty of young players, doing so with an eye towards the 2026 World Cup.

He said: “I’m pleased with the squad we’ve brought together for this mid-season international. There is a strong balance between some more experienced international players and some newer faces to the England squad.”

McDonnell and Wilson were members of the England Academy side who beat Australia Schoolboys in 2018.

O’Neill, a near ever-present for Wigan over the past two years, has been a key figure in a side who, in June, became the first English club since 2007 to hold all four major honours at once – the Super League title, League Leaders’ Shield, Challenge Cup and World Club Challenge trophy.

Minchella helped Hull KR to both the Challenge Cup Final and the Super League play-offs in 2023.

Delaney, who joined the St Helens academy as a 15-year-old, made his first-team debut in April 2022, and later that year represented England Knights against Scotland.

He returned to Saints the following season to play 18 Super League matches following a loan spell in the Championship with Swinton.

Last August, he signed a contract committing him to Saints until 2026, and he has missed just three matches this season.

Next Saturday’s match is part of a double-header, with both the men and women taking on France.

Wane’s side will then face a two-Test series against Samoa, with the first match at Wigan’s Brick Community Stadium – formerly DW Stadium – on Sunday, 27 October, and the second at AMT Headingley in Leeds on Saturday, 2 November (both 14:30 GMT).

England squad: Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves), George Delaney (St Helens), Tyler Dupree (Wigan Warriors), Ash Handley (Leeds Rhinos), James Harrison (Warrington Wolves), Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons), Matty Lees (St Helens), Mikey Lewis, Jez Litten (both Hull KR), James McDonnell (Leeds Rhinos), Elliot Minchella (Hull KR), Harry Newman (Leeds Rhinos), Matty Nicholson (Warrington Wolves), Brad O’Neill, Harry Smith, Luke Thompson (all Wigan Warriors), Jack Welsby (St Helens), George Williams (Warrington Wolves), Oliver Wilson (Huddersfield Giants), Sam Wood (Castleford Tigers).