YORK Valkyrie's Georgia Taylor and Elisa Akpa look set to face off against each other when Wales take on France on Sunday afternoon in Carcassonne (3pm local time).

Both have been named in the squads for their respective nations, with Taylor in line to make her Wales debut.

The winger is one of eight players who could potentially win their first caps on Sunday, alongside Salford Red Devils' top tackler Brogan Evans. Former Grand Final winner Kim Boaler is among six Cardiff Demons who could also debut.

Wales head coach Tom Brindle is excited to see so many new faces in his squad, saying: “We’ve shown great progression over the last few years, and we are building with every session, we worked hard to increase the depth within our squad and we are looking to give a number of players debuts. 

“These games are an important step towards the World Cup, and with a number of injuries, our squad depth give us a chance to see more player playing at the highest levels.”

Akpa, who made nine appearances after re-joining the Valkyrie from Catalan Goddesses in July, has again been included in Romain Maillot's France squad.

The versatile forward is no stranger to the international set-up, having been named her country's captain in March following a string of impressive performances at the World Cup.

The French coach is expecting a tough challenge from Wales, warning: "A real test for our group against this team that we are playing for the first time.

"The Welsh will do everything to show that they deserve their place on the international stage. It's up to us to respond and apply what was worked on! ”