NRL duo available for England

England head coach Steve McNamara has confirmed the selection of Sam Burgess and Gareth Ellis for the Gillette Fusion International, England v France at Leigh Sports Village on Saturday June 12.
 
Both players will join the England squad immediately after fulfilling their commitments to their Australian clubs the week before the mid-season international.
 
“Sam and Gareth are important parts of our plans, both for the Gillette Fusion International and this year’s Four Nations and beyond,” said McNamara.
 
“We are about to embark on an exciting journey culminating in the 2013 Rugby League World Cup and the match against France is a significant juncture in our development.
 
“Both Sam and Gareth were instrumental in the progress we made during last year’s Gillette Four Nations and have key roles to play in building on that momentum.
 
“We have kept close tabs on their progress in the NRL and are delighted by their form in 2010. I’m looking forward to working with them both again next month.”
 
Ellis is likely to feature in the Wests Tigers team that plays Canterbury Bulldogs in Sydney on Friday June 4. Burgess is expected to be in action with South Sydney on Monday June 7.
 
Both players will miss their clubs’ respective NRL fixtures the following weekend.
 
Steve McNamara will announce full details of his 19-man squad for the Gillette Fusion International at a press conference in Manchester on Tuesday June 1.