McNamara: Australia win shows England's future is bright

McNamara was able to look to the future after the victory (Getty Images)

The England coach, Steve McNamara, has praised the next generation of international players after the victory over their Australian contemporaries.

McNamara was in the stand as the England Academy side beat the crack Australian Schoolboys team 38-30 at Leigh on Saturday, after being 12 points down.

"I think that performance shows that the future of England rugby league is very promising," he said. "Those players will all be striving to get in the senior side and it's great to see such a talented crop coming through.

"To beat Australia, you have to have a team performing well and not just individuals. Everyone was very pleased with that performance and I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform this week."

The second Test is scheduled for Castleford on Friday night, but a pitch inspection today could see it transferred to Leigh. Harlequins' Albanian forward, Olsi Krasniqi, is ready to take his place after missing the first match through injury.

Todd Carney, the recently elected International Player of the Year, has escaped with minor injuries after falling from the balcony of his flat in Sydney. The Sydney Roosters' stand-off made his debut for Australia in the recent Four Nations.