England Women's boss Stuart Barrow makes World Cup claim after rout of France

Leah Burke scored an early double and England did not relent on their way to a 30-0 half-time lead.

Burke finished with four tries, Hollie-Mae Dodd helped herself to a double and former York Valkyrie team-mates Tara-Jane Stanley and Sinead Peach also got their names on the scoresheet in a one-sided rout.

England do not yet have a fixture scheduled for this autumn but Barrow expects to face Wales or France.

When asked whether two and a half years was long enough to catch up with superpowers Australia and New Zealand, Barrow, who replaced Craig Richards after last year's World Cup, replied: "I wouldn't be here if I didn't think that was possible.

"We've got great players who are still young. There's a lot of youth in the squad and experience as well.

"We didn't come here today expecting a 60-odd nil game. Last year, we played these in June after 10 or 11 rounds of Super League and a week camp and we only beat them 32-10.

"The exposure to the World Cup and looking at what we could do to simplify it and the girls executing it has surprised me a little today.

"We want better competition internationally but the Women's Super League is getting stronger."

There was barely a minute on the clock when NRLW-bound Georgia Roche sent Burke over after France failed to deal with Stanley's kick-off.

Burke made it a double inside nine minutes from a well-worked scrum play and was soon joined on the scoresheet by St Helens team-mate Shona Hoyle, the prop proving too strong for the French close to the line.

York centre Tamzin Renouf raced down the right flank to make it four tries in 24 minutes before Eboni Partington went in from another scrum play and Stanley weaved her way over to get in on the act.

The procession continued after the interval, Burke completing her hat-trick in between tries from Dodd, who like Roche is heading to the NRLW.

York hooker Peach – back in the side after missing the World Cup – burrowed over to give England their 10th try and Burke got another before Leeds Rhinos centre Amy Hardcastle rounded off the scoring late on.

England: Stanley, Partington, Renouf, Hardcastle, Burke, Harris, Roche, Wood, Bennett, Hoyle, Rudge, Dodd, Cunningham. Substitutes: Peach, Whitfield, Field, Molyneux.

France: M Samarra, Canal, Guillerot, Biville, Ramazeilles, Pommier, Canet, Legout, Ramos, Zaghdoudi, Akpa, Kuresa, D Samarra. Substitutes: Michel, Menaa, Segala, Roses.

Referee: Kristoff Young.