England standout five as Wigan Warriors and Warrington Wolves stars impress

England’s warm-up for the Test series against Samoa saw them beat France 40-8 in Toulouse. A new-look England side, with a host of debutants, had a few problems but was too good for the hosts in the end.

Some players stood out more than others. Here, we take a look at the star performers during England’s most recent victory.

Ben Currie (Warrington Wolves)

Currie is very much a mainstay in England’s set-up and performances like this explain why. It wasn’t spectacular from Currie, but it was effective. Safe and sound in defence, he also showed some nice touches in attack, with the dummy and pass for Jack Welsby’s second try particularly notable. You need reliable players in any team and Currie was certainly that for England.

James Harrison (Warrington Wolves)

England’s players were all good, with Tyler Dupree and Olly Wilson showing good signs from the bench. But with England on the back foot in the second half, Harrison stepped up and produced a very encouraging display with excellent intensity to force errors and kill momentum. A certain tackle dislodged the ball at a key period.

Tom Johnstone (Catalans Dragons)

Johnstone scored two tries but that was just reward for his excellent work in helping the team. He was England’s most dynamic ball carrier, causing France all sorts of problems. He played a telling role in two tries as well, tearing down the wing before Jack Welsby’s opener, then going on a blistering run to beat six men before moving the ball to Harry Newman. Probably the best in England.

Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)

Magic Mikey started off the bench but made a big impact when he came on. Adding speed and unpredictability around the ruck, his contributions created time and space for others and that led to tries. He then showed that amazing footwork to break the middle and put George Williams up. Elliot Minchella produced a herculean spell through the middle, with Hull KR fans wondering.

Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors)

Still somehow underrated despite all he has achieved, Smith’s kicking helped weather the early French storm and helped England back into the contest. His performance was capped off with a remarkable tackle down the field on the last play of the game, picking out an unmarked Johnstone, then landing the ball on his head.