Wheel of Steel winner Josh Butler is one of three Leeds Rhinos players in Tom Coyd’s England squad (Getty Images)
Wheelchair Rugby International League – England vs France
Date: Saturday 26th October; Venue: Robin Park, Wigan. Time: 14:30 GMT. Coverage: Live on BBC iPlayer and BBC Sport website
England’s level of resilience heading into Saturday’s International Wheelchair Rugby League game against France was further enhanced by an increasingly competitive domestic fixture, head coach Tom Coyd said.
Coid pointed out that there had been a significant reduction in one-sided matches in the Wheelchair Super League in the past season.
And he believes it will help England when they face their old international rivals in Wigan.
Leeds Rhinos went unbeaten in Super League, defeating Halifax Panthers in the grand final, but Coid, who also coaches the London Roosters, has seen closer games than ever this season.
“The players are used to being exposed to high-pressure environments and close matches, and we know that happens a lot against France,” Coid told BBC Sport.
“In 2023, there were 10 league games decided by a difference of 40 points or more.This season, there were six games decided by two converted tries or less, and only one game was decided by a difference of 40 points.
“It wasn’t for nothing for Leeds and even though the headlines were an unbeaten season, they’ve had a lot of close games and it gives them confidence that all the players are now used to playing the whole 80 minutes. I’ll give it to you.
“When Leeds started, they lost their first 20 or so games, but some of the players from those dark days are still there and have been stars this season.
“This shows how resilience can be built through hardship, and they are reaping the fruits of their labor.”
Coid included three Rhinos players in his squad for the match, Wheel of Steel winner Josh Butler, Nathan Collins and Tom Halliwell.
“Our hope is that not only can the Leeds trio pick up where they left off, but that they can play really well with their England team-mates and that that winning mentality and confidence is shared across the team,” said Coed. he added.
“Every national team has the challenge of rivalries between clubs, but you can ignore that or you can accept that.
“It’s our responsibility to celebrate the great job that all the clubs have done and to acknowledge that Leeds are champions, but as soon as we enter the English environment everyone is on a level playing field. , you want to give all your players a good performance, ‘space for them to be their best. ”
The squad includes seven of the players who won the World Cup in Manchester in November 2022, beating France, when Halliwell scored the winning try with three minutes remaining. Mason Billington is set to make his debut just eight months after taking up the sport. .
England and France have long been leaders in the development of the sport and have faced each other in the last three World Cup finals.
The two faced each other twice in 2023, with one win each.
At the meeting, France appointed Cyril Torres as their new coach, replacing long-serving Sylvain Krysmanovic earlier this year.
Torres led his country to World Cup glory as captain against England in 2013 and 2017, and led the Catalan Dragons to the Challenge Cup this season.
“For as long as I’ve been coaching, we’ve had the same coaching structure in France, so this is a whole new challenge,” Coid said.
“Cyril has gained great experience working in a highly competitive and high-performance environment and I am sure he wants to make his mark on this French team.
“He’s picked some players that I’ve never coached before, so I’m looking forward to that as well.
“Like us, he probably thinks he has some of the best players in the world in his team and it’s up to him to make sure they work together and get the best out of them. It depends.”
