After completing only his seventh game of rugby union last week since converting from rugby league in November, Sam Burgess’ club coach Mike Ford is already touting him for international recognition with the England Saxons ‘A’ team . A wildly premature suggestion considering Burgess’ limited impact and game time so far and England’s failed history of fast-tracking rugby league stars into the union national team, based on reputation and hefty investment from the RFU – not performances.
Burgess was undoubtedly a superstar of rugby league, earning the hard won respect of Australia’s rugby league fans, media and players during his four years with the South Sydney Rabbitohs, culminating in leading the club to its first Championship in 43 years with a Man-of-the-Match performance in November’s Grand Final. His arrival in rugby union has understandably sent ripples of excitement through the sport but despite his potential, Burgess needs to learn and adapt to a new game, new positions and new rules, and most importantly, produce performances that earn him the right to play for England, the same as everyone else.
I personally 100% want Burgess to succeed, fulfill his undoubted potential and flourish in the sport. Yet, for all Mike Ford’s eulogies talking up of only a handful of appearances, he is not yet an international rugby union player. The fact Jason Robinson, with the slight exception of Chris Ashton, has been the only recent unequivocal international cross-code success in this country, only serves to highlight the difficulty of picking up and excelling in the 15-man game, and the RFU’s failed policy of parachuting league stars into the international arena. The failed list of Henry Paul, Shontayne Hape, Barrie-Jon Mather, Andy Farrell, Lee Smith, Lesley Vainikolo, Joel Tomkins and Chev Walker (plus the high-profile example of Wales’ Iestyn Harris) should temper any thoughts that Burgess will automatically make the same transition as Sonny Bill Williams and Israel Folau have for New Zealand and Australia respectively.
Lancaster should only pick Burgess if and when he is truly ready, has an obvious position and is playing well enough with Bath. If not, experience shows the danger is that both Burgess and the England team could ultimately suffer.
iheartsport 