Rob Hawkins scored four tries in a dazzling first-half performance which fired England to their third win in their last four meetings against their oldest and fiercest international rivals.
Hawkins, the 22-year-old Halifax Panthers wing who was recently named Young Player of the Year in the Betfred Wheelchair Super League, combined superbly with the Leeds Rhinos trio of Josh Butler, Nathan Collins and captain Tom Halliwell.
Collins produced an outstanding kicking performance in general play and in converting each of the 11 tries that England scored in retaining the Fassolette-Kielty Trophy awarded to the winners of every England-France fixture, in tribute to the two founders of Wheelchair Rugby League.
Fittingly Malcolm Kielty MBE, a stalwart of the Halifax club whose father Stan was a Challenge Cup finalist at Wembley in 1954, presented Hawkins with his player of the match award.
England’s players had been presented with their match jerseys by the England Men’s Head Coach Shaun Wane on the eve of the first Wheelchair Rugby League international to be played in Wigan.
Tom Coyd MBE, the England Wheelchair Head Coach, said: “That was inspirational for all of us, and most of us will be back here tomorrow cheering the England lads on against Samoa.
“It wasn’t a perfect performance but we played some great stuff, and scored some great tries – and it was another fantastic occasion for Wheelchair Rugby League.
“To be able to announce a sell-out a few days before the match sends a great message about the progress we’re making – and the performance had a lot to do with the quality of the Wheelchair Super League this year, which has definitely been the best season yet.”
Coyd had special praise for Mason Billington, the recent cross-code convert from Essex who has made spectacular progress in his debut season with London Roosters, and scored England’s last two tries after his introduction from the interchange bench.
“Mason could be frightening in a couple of years time,” Coyd added. “I’ve never known anyone take to the sport so quickly.”
Sebastien Bechara, the Nottingham-born, Perpignan-based star of England’s triumphant World Cup campaign in 2022, also scored two tries, the first a spectacular finish in the left corner.
England had shot to an 18-0 lead inside 12 minutes through tries from Butler and two for Hawkins, both laid on skilfully by Collins.
France responded through the first of two tries for Leo Hivenat, who also kicked three goals for a total of 14 points, but England maintained their ascendancy through Bechara’s first and two more for Hawkins.
Bechara then set up a try for Joe Coyd before scoring his second to extend England’s advantage to 48-18 early in the second half, but France responded with a surprise drop goal from their typically combative captain Gilles Clausells, and scored three second-half tries from Julien Penella and two for Adrian Zittel.
France will now aim to regain the Fassolette-Kielty Trophy, which England have held since a win in Marseille last December, when the teams meet again in Saint-Lo in Normandy on November 23.
That will be preceded by a double-header in Nantes on November 21 in which England will face Spain for the first time since the World Cup, and France will host Ireland.
England:
Tries – Josh Butler, Rob Hawkins 4, Seb Bechara, Joe Coyd, Tom Halliwell, Mason Billington 2
Goals – Nathan Collins 11
France:
Tries – Leo Hivernat 2, Damian Dore, Julien Penella, Adrian Zittel 2
Goals - Leo Hivernat 3, Julian Penella
Drop Goal – Gilles Claussells
Half-time: 36-18
Full-time: 66-33
