Rugby League convert Sam Burgess will have a chance to book his place in the England rugby union side’s World Cup squad after being handed a Test debut in the team named on Monday by coach Stuart Lancaster for Saturday’s warm-up match against France at Twickenham.
Burgess has been selected by World Cup hosts England just 10 months after his high-profile cross-code switch from rugby league, having bowed out of the 13-man games by helping the South Sydney Rabbitohs win Australia’s NRL title.
The 26-year-old Burgess has been picked at inside centre, not blindside flanker where he produced his best performances for club side Bath last season, and will line-up alongside fellow uncapped player Henry Slade in midfield, with experienced fly-half Owen Farrell alongside the two new Test centres.
Welcome to the club. Veteran @nick_easter congratulates @SamBurgess8 on winning his 1st England cap #carrythemhome pic.twitter.com/VKWuxaqtZb
— England Rugby (@EnglandRugby) August 10, 2015
That Burgess has made it this far in his quest to play at the World Cup, which starts next month, has proved highly controversial with a number of pundits arguing he has done little in his time in union to warrant such rapid promotion for all his success in league.
But England coach Lancaster said Monday: “We will see if Sam can translate what he’s done in training, which is clearly good otherwise I wouldn’t have taken this chance to look at him against France.”
Alex Goode; Anthony Watson, Henry Slade, Sam Burgess, Jonny May; Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth; Ben Morgan, Calum Clark, Tom Wood (capt); Geoff Parling, George Kruis; Kieran Brookes, Rob Webbber, Mako Vunipola
Replacements: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Alex Corbisiero, David Wilson, Dave Attwood, James Haskell, Danny Care, Danny Cipriani, Billy Twelvetrees