JOHN Kear showed faith in his former Bradford Bulls charges, with four of them starting for Wales in their Test match against France yesterday.

It was Wales first game in nearly four years, so was some much-needed practice ahead of the Rugby League World Cup this autumn.

And the Wales boss, who only left his role at Bradford in April before pitching up at Widnes a few weeks later, named Bulls players Elliot Kear, Ant Walker, Ben Evans and Chester Butler in his starting line-up.

It was a tough afternoon for the Welsh, who were beaten 34-10 in Albi, but there was a late try from former Bulls winger Dalton Grant, with Walker and Kear heavily involved in the build-up.

Evans went off for a HIA, but was able to return for the start of the second half.

As well as the four who played on Sunday, fellow Bulls stars Rhys Evans and Dan Fleming will be pushing for a place in that World Cup squad in a few months' time.

Speaking to the T&A, Ben Evans said: “It was class to be back at it with the boys, even if we didn’t win.

“Being in that red jersey again was great and we spoke before the game as a group about what it means to play for Wales and it got quite emotional.

“We’re all excited for the World Cup and talked about it a lot last week.

“We’ve played France now and we’re hoping for another friendly before the World Cup.

“But I can only really think about club rugby for now and at the end of the year, I can think of the World Cup a bit more.

“When I played on Sunday, my HIA was just a precaution. I’m fine, I still played decent minutes, and I’m ready for this weekend.”