Leeds captain Kevin Sinfield is warning his England team-mates to be ready for a tough physical challenge against France.

England are launching their Gillette Four Nations campaign against France at Doncaster's Keepmoat Stadium.

England ran in 12 tries against the French in their mid-season international in Paris but coach Bobbie Goulding will have a stronger side out tomorrow and Sinfield expects them take a lead from the Catalans Dragons side which finished the Super League season so strongly.

Sinfield witnessed at first hand the combative nature of the French forwards in the Rhinos' 27-20 semi-final win over the Dragons at Headingley earlier this month and expects that to spill over onto the international stage.

"We know how tough they were that day," he said. "Some of their players have been in fantastic form at the back end of the year and I think, with Bobbie in charge, he will get them fired up.

"They're a big, strong outfit with some skill in there as well. They're going to be very dangerous.

"I think the French will be a real challenge for us. It will be a good game to start with because they're going to be very physical and strong."

Sinfield is delighted to be back in the England team after being dropped for last November's World Cup semi-final and ignored for the mid-season trip to Paris.

"There are some thoughts that it could have been my last series last year but at no stage did I ever spit the dummy out when I was left out of that semi," he said.

"You've got to be good around the team still. These guys are your mates and you do your best whether you're playing in the team or not.

"You never look back. It was a disappointment at the time but you've got to move on and come back stronger.

"I'm delighted to be back and to be in the starting line-up is something I'm very proud of."

England coach Tony Smith today defended his decision to select teenage winger Tom Briscoe just 48 hours after calling him into the Four Nations squad.

The Hull player was a late replacement for injured loose forward Sean O'Loughlin and got the nod ahead of Hull KR winger Peter Fox, who scored two tries in England's 66-12 win over France in June.

Smith admitted Briscoe clinched his place with a two-try debut against Wales in Bridgend last Saturday but tipped Fox to bounce back.

"Not every one of the 24 can fit into the 17 and it was a tough one for him," said Smith.

"He's a professional player and he'll get on the with the job and get ready to play when he gets the opportunity.

"Tom has had some fortune but he put his hand up in a big way. He was pretty good the other night.

"It was a hard decision not to include him in the 24 and, when he did get a recall, we thought he deserved to get an opportunity again."