England coach Stuart Lancaster backs Sam Burgess to challenge for World Cup ...

“These are the assets I am most excited about. Sam went to Australia at 18

because he wanted to challenge himself. He is leaving league as an iconic

player and having to start from scratch. He is now challenging himself to

get into a World Cup squad in union within nine months. That requires

toughness and I like that trait in people. There’s lots to learn but if one

person can do it, Sam Burgess can.”

Just as there was drawn-out discussion about Andy Farrell’s best position in

union, so is there already about Burgess. Farrell began as a flanker but

quickly switched to the midfield. Burgess also plays in the forwards in

league. He is a powerful, surging, offloading force of nature, qualities

that Lancaster believes most quickly transfer to playing in the centre. It

has been mooted that Burgess would better suit Bath’s playing roster if he

tried out in the back row. But Lancaster clearly sees parallels with Sonny

Bill Williams.

Time is also against Burgess if he is to master the complexities of learning

union line-out drills as well as breakdown strategies as a back-row forward.

Burgess came up against Williams in the recent Rugby League World Cup

semi-final and wanted for nothing by comparison.

“It is easier to learn union in the backs,” Lancaster said. “The closest

comparison I can make is with Sonny Bill Williams. You look at Sam’s ability

in that semi-final to take the line on and create something out of nothing.

Jamie Peacock [the former Great Britain player] described it as the most

complete display he had seen from a league forward in 20 years.

“Sam has a very strong skill set, his carrying game will be easily

transferable and he will be a real asset.”

Bath intend to be flexible in their thinking on Burgess’s best position.“We

are not going to pigeonhole him,” Mike Ford, the Bath head coach, said. “Sam

is a good footballer, is intelligent and although I wouldn’t be surprised if

he managed to make 2015, it is a tough ask.”

Lancaster has no intention of bestowing any favours on Burgess. The England

head coach is well aware of being accused of granting him preferential

treatment, all the more so if the RFU does make a contribution to his deal.

It is keen to do so as it recognises the benefits that Burgess’s arrival could

bring to the English game. The RFU insists that there was no promise to pay

the transfer fee, but there is a desire to broker an agreement that the rest

of the Premiership clubs would regard as fair and equitable. Those talks

continue this week.

Lancaster met Burgess in August while on a trip to Australia but did not

initiate the move to union.

He will monitor the player’s progress. “There will be no shortcut into the

Elite Player Squad,” said Lancaster, who was sounded out by Burgess’s

representatives as to possible scenarios next year. “Sam will have to earn

the right to become an Elite Performance Squad member like everyone else. He

has to play well for his club. There is a squad announced in January but I

can’t for one minute see Sam in that. If he makes the World Cup training

squad in the summer of 2015, there are two warm-up games before the final

squad is named. We will take three centres and one who can also play wing.

There is some pretty good competition out there.”

Burgess is no mug. He knows the score but his appetite is well and truly

whetted. “This was an opportunity I had to pursue,” he said.

This story has only just begun.

Article source: http://www.dailystar.co.uk/rugby-league/360654/Rugby-League-St-Helens-hairy-prop-Kyle-Amor-hoping-to-win-trophies-with-the-Saints

England coach Stuart Lancaster backs Sam Burgess to challenge for World Cup ...