Included in the 25-man squad were Dubbo’s Dylan Hill and Josh Merritt along with Gilgandra’s Jordan Hay and Cobar’s Zac Douglas.

Rooster’s U/18 backrower Douglas who displayed outstanding form during the recent Group 11 season, will next year link with his favourite NRL team, the Parramatta Eels.

The tour was a culmination of a two-year elite training program which is designed to prepare its squad members to eventually play at NRL level.

The AIS team won its first match against France Under-18s in a testing encounter 16-13 before going down 27-20 to France Under-19s in front of a packed Jean Bernege Stadium in Tonneins.

The boys then headed across the English Channel to record a 48-20 win over the England Community Lions Under-18s before winning 36-18 against Wales Under-18s in their final match of the tour last week.

Hill whose next step in his career is a likely move to Cronulla Sharks in January to play in the Under-18 SG Ball Cup said he loved being part of the tour.

“It was a great experience to see all the sights as well as playing in the Australian jersey,” Hill, who only took up rugby league four years ago, said.

“It was also good to see what sort of talent exists on the other side of the world.

“The game was a lot quicker to bush football but I didn’t find it as hard.”

With a squad of 25 players to choose from for each of the games, teams were selected on a rotational basis with Hill playing prop forward in the first and third games of the tour.

Douglas was his front row partner in the first game and also played in the final game against Wales along with five-eighth Merritt, who scored the first try and lock forward Hay, while Merritt also played in the game against England.

“The highlight for me was the game against the Lions,” Hill said.

The long flights, including a 14-hour journey from Hong Kong to Paris were also a new experience for the boys, including Hill who said his previous longest flight was three hours.