Rugby League: Academy miss pass mark

France Juniors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10

Great Britain Academy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .8

FRANCE JUNIORS went one better than their seniors at Carcassonne yesterday by beating Great Britain for the first time at this level, writes Dave Hadfield.

The Academy side led 2-0 at the break through a Iestyn Harris goal. Fabien Devecchi and Moussa Loukili then crossed for France, while a British try from Adrian Flynn came too late for a reprieve.

FRENCH JUNIORS: Loukili (Lezignan); Fauvel (Villeneuve), Daure (Catalan), Banquet (Carcassonne), Vallee (Chatillon); Devecchi (Villeneuve), Tena (Catalan, capt); Dega (Villefranche), El Kalouki (Toulouse), Sabatier (Carcassonne), Peralta (St Laurent), Cambres (Catalan), Tallek (Lezignan). Substitutes: Le Goff (St Gaudens) for Dega, 71; Ouramdame (Avignon) for Peralta, 77; Marchet (Villeneuve) for Daure, 79.

GREAT BRITAIN: Penny (Warrington); Craig (Wigan), Flynn (Wakefield), Harris (Warrington), Smith (Castleford); Sheridan (Sheffield), McAtee (St Helens); Sykes (Castleford, capt), Rowley (Leigh), Pearson (Leeds), Haughton (Wigan), Baldwin (Leigh), Wainwright (Warrington). Substitutes: Hope (Wigan) for Sykes, 40; Vassilakopoulos (Leeds) for Baldwin, 58; Lawless (Halifax) for Rowley, 61; Allen (Wakefield) for McAtee, 61.

Referee: R Connolly (Wigan).