England strive for team unity

By George Riley
BBC Radio 5 Live rugby league expert

Smith is working hard to create harmony in the England camp

As fans and journalists ponder any possible benefit of a thumping friendly win over a hugely-depleted France, one massive positive was England's effort to right one of the wrongs of that horrible World Cup campaign.

The Paris pummelling of the French has done little to boost the rugby league development of our cross-channel neighbours, but from talking to a number of the England players and other members of the party this week, I am confident it was a massively useful exercise for our boys.

When I sat down with Tony Smith for an exclusive World Cup "debrief" a few months ago, the much-talked about divide in the squad between the Leeds and St Helens players was something I had to tackle.

Smith was cagey about talk of divisions in the camp, but the effort that is being put into ensuring there is a strong togetherness moving towards the Four Nations would suggest otherwise.

With the squad spending the lion's share of last week in the French capital, the RFL organised and financed a special team bonding exercise on the Tuesday night, hiring a Bateau Mouche to cruise Smith and his squad along the Seine.

The fact that this young bunch of players enjoyed this freedom and behaved themselves is an encouraging sign, too, given past misdemeanours on tour

I understand the usually stringent rules governing professional athletes' social behaviour were relaxed a little to allow the players a drink together - quite unusual in the run-up to an international.

When the team-bonding moved on to a Parisian bar, even Smithy afforded himself a continental refreshment - most unlike the renowned disciplinarian. That's fantastic if you ask me.

It marks a real effort from those in charge to get things right in advance of the Four Nations. The fact that this young bunch of players, away from home, enjoyed this freedom and behaved themselves is an encouraging sign, too, given past misdemeanours on tour.

Either side of the full-on training sessions, the lads were also afforded their own free time to explore the capital. I'm still laughing at the image of a bunch of huge, hairy northerners straining over camera-clad European tourists in the Louvre for a glimpse at the Mona Lisa.

Leonardo da Vinci's masterpiece is not up to much, according to Ryan Atkins

Wakefield centre Ryan Atkins tells me that Leonardo da Vinci's 16th century masterpiece was, in his opinion, "really small and a bit rubbish" and added "there were much better paintings on the other wall".

Ryan's team-mates would have had to pay his entry in to the Louvre, too. He lost all his euros to Leeds winger Ryan Hall on the poker table on the very first night. The self-proclaimed "best poker player in Super League", Atkins assures me he got it back before the flight home.

Poker rivalry aside, the partnership of the two young Ryans down England's left side was one of the real positives from the game against France, so it seems the Leeds lads bonded on and off the field.

Big Eorl Crabtree is still moaning about drawing the short straw and sharing a room with Wigan's Gareth Hock. Eorl tells me his attempts to discuss European art and culture with his team-mate were met with a grunt.

I'd expect Danny McGuire to still be getting a bit of grief, too. Danny's a top lad and took time to speak to me live on our Weekend Breakfast Show on 5 Live on the morning of the game - well beyond the call of duty.

The day before he had turned a shade of green and came close to vomiting down the famous Champs Elysees after realising the Arc de Triomphe was actually "a little bit high".

Danny doesn't do heights and gave up halfway up the ascent but tells me it was "good for the Yorkshire boys to see a little bit of culture". Quite how his team-mates can take the mick when they shunned the stairs for the lift is beyond me.

Danny roomed with Richie Myler, so the new-look half-back pairing could get used to each other's company on and off the field. McGuire tells me that the rising star "is 19 going on 29".

Talk to any of the players about their week in France and they insist they had an awesome time together.

This is a new-look England under Smith and, although you can expect the return of several big names at the end of the year, these young lads have laid down a powerful marker.

Crucially for me, there is a huge effort from Smith and the RFL to ensure that the England squad that heads into a Four Nations battle with Australia, New Zealand and France is completely united.