Ex-Featherstone Rovers boss Ryan Carr talks Justin Sangare, Leeds Rhinos and France's chances v England

Sangare, recruited from Toulouse Olympique, is in the French squad for Saturday’s World Cup showdown against England at Bolton and will begin pre-season training with Rhinos in December.

Carr, who was an assistant at Leeds and head coach of Featherstone Rovers in 2019, is part of France’s backroom staff and has been impressed by what he has seen ofthe 24-year-old prop.

He told the Yorkshire Evening Post: “He is a great kid; he’s a big boy, powerful, he has got a really strong carry, a good offload and a really good attitude too.

“It has been a pleasure working with him in camp. He is always looking to get better and I think making the step over to Leeds will hopefully help his development even further, being around a team who has made the Grand Final. He is joining some good players there, so I think he has got a good future.”

Australian Carr is one of two former Leeds assistants on France’s coaching staff, alongside Sean Long who left Rhinos this month to become team boss at Featherstone.

France, coached by Laurence Frayssinous and with Trent Robinson as director of rugby, began their World Cup campaign with a 34-12 win over Greece last Monday and Carr said: “We have a really good staff and the players are fantastic.

“They are so good to work with, they love being coached and they just want to get better.

“Their attitude is great and their passion for the game in France is unbelievable. It is good to see them getting a reward like a win [last Monday] on the back of how hard they work.”

France will book a quarter-final place if they beat the hosts this weekend, but Carr accepted facing England is a step up in class.

“They were very clinical against Samoa,” he noted of England’s 66-6 win in their opening match.

“They have got world-class players all over the pitch. We know it is going to be a tough game against a class team, but we’ve got to look at what we did on Monday, go back to the drawing board and make sure we keep looking to improve.”

Working alongside Richard Agar, Carr helped turn Rhinos around three years ago after a poor start to the campaign under Dave Furner. He also guided Rovers to the Betfred Championship Grand Final, where they lost to Toronto Wolfpack.

Carr headed back to Australia after just one year in England and is building an impressive reputation as a second in command in the NRL.

“I have just finished up as an assistant at Parramatta and I am heading for St George Dragons next year,” he revealed.

“I’ve signed a two-year deal so I am going to be assistant-coach there, heading up the attack.

“I am looking forward to that, it's an exciting new challenge. I enjoyed my time at Parra, really loved working there - great people, great players - but as with everything, a new opportunity has come up.”

Carr added: “I still keep in touch with a lot of the guys over here, especially from Fev. There’s a lot of good - people there. When Rich Agar was coaching Leeds we talked quite often, we are still good mates. I am always keeping my eye on it and cheering for Leeds and definitely Fev.”

And the Aussie said he was pleased to see Rhinos back on the big stage, winning the Challenge Cup under Agar two years ago and reaching Old Trafford this season.

“It was a good achievement to get there from where they came from,” he said. “They went on a good run and I think they are just starting to build something new there, so it will be exciting to see where they go next year.”

After Agar stepped down in March, Carr was strongly linked to Leeds’ coaching vacancy before Rohan Smith was announced as their new team boss.

He is understood to have spoken to Rhinos, but was keen to continue in the NRL. He stressed: “I have been enjoying my time in the NRL, it has been good for me.

“Parramatta has been good to me, I have grown a lot as a coach and now I have got an opportunity at the Dragons, which is something that really excites me. I am looking forward to working under Anthony Griffin.”

Carr still has ambitions to take charge of his own team. He insisted: “Definitely, as most coaches do.

“The ambition is there, but I am not in a rush either. I’ll take it one year at a time, just do the best job I can, whoever I am working for and with the players I’m working for and that will take care of itself.”