St.Helens players Daryl Clark, Morgan Knowles, Matty Lees, and Alex Walmsley have been named in the England 19-man squad that will take on Australia in the second ABK Beer Rugby League Ashes Test this Saturday, 1st November at Hill Dickinson Stadium in Liverpool.
The fixture has been sold out for months, with supporters excited for Rugby League’s first visit to Everton’s new stadium and to see the storied rivalry between England and Australia re-ignited once more.
Australia won the first match of the three-Test series last Saturday afternoon at Wembley Stadium, 6-26.
England Head Coach Shaun Wane has made several changes to his 19-player squad to face the Kangaroos.
St.Helens players Daryl Clark, Morgan Knowles and Matty Lees all started in the First Test, with Alex Walmsley coming off the bench. They hold their places in the 19-man squad.
Veteran Leeds Rhinos forward Kallum Watkins could earn his 30th England cap this weekend, whilst Gold Coast Titans’ AJ Brimson, who changed his international eligibility earlier this year, is in line to make his England debut. Morgan Smithies, now at the Canberra Raiders, and Wigan Warriors’ Harry Smith also come into the squad.
Head Coach Shaun Wane said: “I needed to make some changes to the side that lost last week at Wembley, and I have done that.
“The beauty of having such a strong squad is that we are bringing some really talented players into the side ahead of this weekend’s game, but the fact remains we simply need to be better this time around.
“I want us to show the very best of us, play at the level I know we can and ultimately level this Ashes Series.
“We are heading to a sold-out Hill Dickinson Stadium at Everton and I have no doubt the English supporters will get behind the team and be that 18th man for us on Saturday afternoon.”
Fans can tune in to watch all the action from the sold out fixture live on BBC One on Saturday afternoon from 2pm ahead of the 2:30pm kick-off.
England Squad v Australia – Second Test
Saturday, 1st November
Hill Dickinson Stadium, 2:30pm
AJ Brimson (Gold Coast Titans)
Age: 27. England caps: 0
Daryl Clark (St Helens)
Age: 32. England caps: 14 (2 tries). Great Britain caps: 2 (1 try)
Herbie Farnworth (Dolphins)
Age: 25. England caps: 7 (6 tries)
Tom Johnstone (Wakefield Trinity)
Age: 30. England caps: 6 (7 tries)
Morgan Knowles (St Helens)
Age: 28. England caps: 9. Wales caps: 4 (1 try)
Matty Lees (St Helens)
Age: 27. England caps: 10 (1 try)
Mikey Lewis (Hull KR)
Age: 24. England caps: 6 (2 tries)
Jez Litten (Hull KR)
Age: 27. England caps: 2
Mike McMeeken (Wakefield Trinity)
Age: 31. England caps: 12 (1 try)
Mikolaj Oledzki (Leeds Rhinos)
Age: 26. England caps: 2
Kai Pearce-Paul (Newcastle Knights)
Age: 24. England caps: 4 (2 tries)
Harry Smith (Wigan Warriors)
Age: 25 England caps: 7 (1 try, 34 goals)
Morgan Smithies (Canberra Raiders)
Age: 24 England caps: 1
Owen Trout (Leigh Leopards)
Age: 26. England caps: 1
Alex Walmsley (St Helens)
Age: 35. England caps: 7 (1 try). Great Britain caps: 4
Jake Wardle (Wigan Warriors)
Age: 26. England caps: 2 (1 try)
Kallum Watkins (Leeds Rhinos)
Age: 34. England caps: 29 (14 tries)
George Williams (Warrington Wolves)
Age: 30. England caps: 21 (10 tries, 1 goal). Great Britain caps: 1
Dom Young (Newcastle Knights)
Age: 24. England caps: 6 (9 tries)
