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Matthew Shaw

Alex Walmsley's high praise for new Leeds Rhinos signing after impressive Rugby League World Cup performance

It may have been a defeat for France on Saturday, but one of their rising stars certainly caught the eye. There was a lot of talk about Justin Sangare after his performance against Shaun Wane's men, with the prop really taking the game to a world-class pack.

Sangare made a big impact once he came on the field. In his 24 minutes, he made 89 metres, one line break and 11 tackles without missing any. His performance didn't go unnoticed by Leeds Rhinos fans either, with Sangare linking up with the Headingley club next season.

It only got better for Sangare after earning wraps from Alex Walmsley too. The St Helens star is missing the World Cup through injury but was in attendance for the game at Bolton. At half-time, he was interviewed by the BBC and he spoke highly of the former Toulouse talent.

Read more: Toby King delivers warning to Ireland naysayers and NRL critics

"He's been a handful, an absolute handful," Walmsley said. "As a pack we won't be happy with how we've defended against him. We've got to muscle up because he's a big, strong athletic kid and runs hard. We need to tighten up there but I supposed he's leading from the front of the France attack and they've got joy off the back of him."

He'll get another chance to pit his wits against some of the best when France take on Samoa next week, with a place in the quarter-finals on the line.

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