Josh Butler, the Wheels of Steel winner, is one of three Leeds Rhinos players in Tom Coyd’s England squad [Getty Images]
Wheelchair rugby league International – England v France
Date: Saturday, 26 October; Venue: Robin Park, Wigan; Time: 14:30 GMT. Coverage: Live on BBC iPlayer and the BBC Sport website
England’s resilience levels going into Saturday’s wheelchair rugby league international against France have been boosted by an increasingly competitive domestic game, head coach Tom Coyd says.
Coyd has noted the significant drop in one-sided matches in the Wheelchair Super League over the past season.
And he believes that will help England when they face their old international rivals in Wigan.
Leeds Rhinos went through the Super League campaign without losing a match, culminating in victory over Halifax Panthers in the Grand Final – but Coyd, who also coaches the London Roosters, has seen more close games this season than ever before.
“Players are really used to being exposed to high-pressure environments and games going right down to the wire – and we know against France that often happens,” Coyd told BBC Sport.
“In 2023, there were 10 league games decided by 40 points or more. This season there have been six games decided by two converted tries or less, and only one game with that 40-point margin.
“It wasn’t a doddle for Leeds and although the headline is their unbeaten season, they went through a lot of close games and it gives me confidence that all of the players are now used to playing to the end of the 80 minutes.
“When Leeds started, they lost something like their first 20 games and some of those players who went through those dark days are still there and starred this season.
“It shows how you can build resilience by going through hardship and they are reaping the fruits of their labour.”
Coyd has included three Rhinos players in the squad for the game – Wheels of Steel winner Josh Butler, Nathan Collins and Tom Halliwell.
“Our hope is that the Leeds trio can pick up where they left off but also that they are able to play really well with their England team-mates and that winning mentality and confidence is shared through the team,” Coyd added.
“All national teams have a challenge with inter-club rivalries, which you can ignore or embrace.
“It is up to us to celebrate the great work all the clubs have done, acknowledge that Leeds are champions but as soon as we get into the England environment, everyone is on a level playing field and you want to try to give every player the space to be their best.”
The squad includes seven of the players who beat France to win the World Cup in Manchester in November 2022 – when Halliwell scored the winning try in the final three minutes – with Mason Billington set to make his debut, just eight months after taking up the sport.
England and France have led the way for many years as the sport has developed – facing each other in the past three World Cup finals.
They met twice in 2023, with one win each.
For this latest meeting, France have a new coach in Cyril Torres, who took over from the long-serving Sylvain Crismanovich earlier this year.
Torres captained his country to World Cup glory against England in 2013 and 2017, and also guided the Catalans Dragons to Challenge Cup victory this season.
“As long as I have been coaching, France have had the same leadership structure so this is a brand new challenge,” Coyd said.
“Cyril is super-competitive and has worked in some high-performance environments and got some great experience and I’m sure he will want to put his stamp on this French team.
“He has selected some players who I haven’t coached against before, so that is exciting too.
“He will think, as we do, that he has got some of the best players in the world in his team and it is up to him to make sure they mesh together and get the best out of them.”
