Eight-try England beat France in mid-season Test

Mid-season international

France (8) 8

Try: Yaha; Goals: Mourgue 2

England (18) 40

Tries: Welsby 2, Handley 2, Johnstone 2, Nicholson, Williams; Goals: Smith 4

England recovered from conceding an early try to score eight times in a 40-8 win over France in Toulouse.

The visitors, led by assistant coach Andy Last with head coach Shaun Wane recovering from an ankle operation, fell behind inside three minutes when Fouad Yaha grounded a grubber kick to score in the corner.

But England found their rhythm midway through the first half and scored four tries in 11 minutes to establish a lead that they did not relinquish.

Leeds winger Ash Handley, St Helens full-back Jack Welsby and Catalans' Tom Johnstone all scored twice, while Warrington duo Matty Nicholson and captain George Williams also crossed.

Earlier, England's women beat their French counterparts 42-0 in the first game of a Test double-header between the two nations at Stade Ernest-Wallon.

More to follow.

France: Mourgue; Yaha, Laguerre, Griffier, Miloudi; Rouge, Fages; Navarrete, Da Costa, Bousquet, Goudemand, Seguier, Garcia

Interchanges: Tison, Chan, Sangare, Maria

England: Welsby; Johnstone, Newman, Wood, Handley; Williams, Smith; Lees, O'Neill, Thompson, Currie, Nicholson, Minchella

Interchanges: Lewis, Harrison, Dupree, Wilson

Referee: Tom Grant