Only performances should get Sam Burgess into the England team, not his reputation

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.

The time has come for Stuart Lancaster’s England team to stand up

English rugby (the team, management and fans alike) would have breathed a collective sigh of relief, tinged with a little satisfaction no doubt, after yesterday’s 26-17 victory over Australia. A win in England’s last game of the year that eases pressure on Stuart Lancaster as the first serious questions of his position as England’s head coach were being asked after five consecutive test defeats at the hands of New Zealand and South Africa. A win serving a welcome reminder that England are able to put Southern Hemisphere opposition under St George’s broadsword, even if the Wallabies are the weakest of the bunch.

In the cold light of day, criticism after those five straight losses has been short-sighted as England could and possibly should have won more than one of those contests, comfortably competitive in each (as they have been throughout Lancaster’s reign) and that in spite of consistently missing a host of front line players through injury (another issue altogether). Lancaster’s record of W3 D1 L10 against rugby union’s traditional ‘Big Three’ is hardly a disgrace (a certain Warren G would kill for that record) and the national team is clearly in a more unified and healthier position under his guidance than it ever was under Martin Johnson’s tenure.

But notwithstanding the aforementioned injuries and the team’s marked improvement over the past three years, the time has come for Lancaster to stop hiding behind the mantra of calling this a ‘team of youngsters and pups’ and for him to start settling on players and consistent style of play. England’s increase in player depth has given him a greater quality of options than his recent predecessors but has also seen many misguided experiments (Courtney Lawes at blind-side flanker, Tom Wood at No.8 and Manu Tuilagi on the wing are a few examples with the consequence being that in many positions Lancaster is still no closer to learning which players and combinations can provide a winning formula. Inconsistent and muddled team selection has started to creep in; poor decision making and game awareness continues to rankle; and the age-old reliance on England’s three pillars of Scrum, Lineout and Maul when under pressure has seen the team’s progress stall and even regress since this year’s Six Nations.

But in a home World Cup year, whatever XV takes to the field in games in 2015, the performances need to indicate that Lancaster is leading them in the right direction.

Toby Flood would be mad to swap Leicester for France ahead of a home World Cup

News of the seemingly inevitable departure of Leicester and England fly-half, Toby Flood, from Welford Road for pastures new come next season was the early Christmas present Tigers supremo Richard Cockerill didn’t want to find in his stocking. Despite Cockerill admitting last week that Flood – via a phone call – has confessed he wants a new challenge, Flood maintains he’ll decide his future in January, though the smart money is still on a move to one of the Gaelic heavyweights of Toulouse, Toulon or Clermont Auvergne.

Flood’s exit from the English club game – if and when confirmed – would admittedly leave Cockerill with the headache of replacing his captain, one of Europe’s best fly-halves over the last five years and a 60 cap international in the prime of his career. Though history shows the departures of even Rory Underwood, Martin Johnson, Neil Back, Lewis Moody, Austin Healy and Martin Corry haven’t stopped the Leicester trophy machine from rumbling on. The greater worry is arguably for England coach Stuart Lancaster, at the prospect of losing a seasoned, senior player and a proven creative spark because of the RFU’s firm stance of not selecting anyone playing outside England.

A policy I fully support, guaranteeing eligible English-based players are fully available for all England international training days, matches and official IRB windows, it’s emergence has had the desired effect where the vast majority of elite-level English players ply their trade on these shores, despite the Euro-millions on offer across the channel. But for a senior England player like Flood, in their prime at 28, to possibly put himself into international exile only two-years out from a home World Cup is a slight concern and Lancaster will hope it’s simply an anomaly and not a sign of an exodus the Welsh club game is currently suffering from.

But why would Flood even consider a move abroad with RWC 2015 on the horizon? It surely can’t because of limited international opportunities as he’s still a central figure in Lancaster’s squad, involved in nearly all games and it’s only in the last 12 months Farrell has moved slightly ahead in the fly-half pecking order. A long-term injury or loss of form from Farrell would see the 10 jersey nailed on Flood’s back. The decision would be stranger still as by waiting 12 months, such a move would have no affect on his World Cup chances as the 2015/2016 club season will in effect only start after the tournament for any players involved in the global showpiece because of the usual friendlies and training camps beforehand.

Without knowing Flood’s final decision or destination for next year we can only speculate on his motives, which could be a perceived lack of confidence from Lancaster and acceptance he’s now no.2 behind Farrell, a bumper pay-day in France or a combination of the two. But at the cost of playing in a World Cup on home soil in an ever-improving team, if he does choose the fabled ‘lifestyle’ in France, it would leave me scratching my head.