Rugby World Cup: Sam Burgess named on England bench for opening match

FORMER NRL star Sam Burgess has missed out on a starting spot in England’s Rugby World Cup opener against Fiji.

England World Cup Rugby Welcome Ceremony

SAM Burgess’ club coach is confident the code convert will ​ignore renewed interest​​ from South Sydney and stay in ​English ​rugby — potentially through to the 2019 World Cup.

The response to the Rabbitohs’ interest in getting Burgess back came as the ​dual international was named on the bench for the opening game of the Rugby World Cup between England and Fiji on Saturday morning.

Though some believed Burgess may start in one of the lesser games in the pool of death, which also features Australia and Wales, England coach Stuart Lancaster stuck firm with his forecasts of naming a full-strength team to start the tournament well at Twickenham.

Regardless of his reserve status as a player, Burgess has continued to be front and centre of the English media this week after the Daily Telegraph revealed South Sydney were preparing a war chest to get their former star back in the NRL by midway through next year.

Burgess is signed with Bath Rugby Club through to the middle of 2017, after he switched codes last year following the Rabbitohs’ premiership.

Mike Brown (L) and Sam Burgess of the England 2015 World Cup Rugby squad pose with their RWC cap at Sandhurst Millitary College for their official welcoming ceremony.

The Bunnies are desperate to get him back after their premiership defence sank without him this season​ and there is speculation in Redfern that Burgess is keen for a return to league​.

Burgess later dismissed rumours linking him with a return to the Rabbitohs.

READ MORE: Sam Burgess dismisses talk of NRL return

Bath ​director of rugby Mike Ford earlier said that Burgess looked likely to stay in England.

“Sam is very happy staying in rugby union,” Ford told UK newspapers.

“He is loving his England spell at the moment and he is looking forward to coming back after the World Cup and playing for us and progressing his rugby career.

“We are very happy with Sam and Sam is very happy with Bath. We want him to stay and I think he wants to stay for the long term, through to the next World Cup, for example, and he won’t be going anywhere in the meantime.”

Burgess’ presence in the English World Cup squad — and now team for the opening game — is the source of frenzied attention in the UK, with every second columnist and ex-player having their say on whether the 26-year-old truly deserves his place.

Brian O’Driscoll said last month while Burgess was a brutal tackler, his attack wasn’t “up to speed”. And former Welsh wing wizard Shane Williams said in a newspaper column Burgess is “a beast but he could also be a chink in England’s armour that Wales could exploit”, this time referring to a lack of nous in drift defence.

Sam Burgess catches the ball during the England training session at Pennyhill Park.

Much of the focus is trained on Burgess’ lack of experience at centre, given he was taken out of the midfield early on by Bath and put at flanker.

Lancaster returned him to centre for the World Cup but even Sonny Bill Williams — a man whose transition from league forward to union centre many have tried to copy — believes Burgess is a forward in rugby.

“He’s a good man and I know that he will handle it with ease, he just needs time in the saddle,” Williams told SkySports UK.

“For me personally, after watching his games ... don’t get me wrong he goes really well at centre, but I think his prime position in the future will be on the side of the ruck. ​”​

England have named an unchanged side from the team who beat Ireland last week. Brad Barritt and Jonathon Joseph are the centres.

“It was a tough call. We want to use our bench to make an impact, and we think Sam can do that. We think it’s a positive selection step,” Lancaster said.

“When we brought some guys on after 50 or 60 minutes against Ireland, they showed that they’re a handful.”

England: Mike Brown (Harlequins); Anthony Watson (Bath Rugby), Jonathan Joseph (Bath Rugby), Brad Barritt (Saracens), Jonny May (Gloucester Rugby); George Ford (Bath Rugby); Ben Youngs (Leicester Tigers); Joe Marler (Harlequins), Tom Youngs (Leicester Tigers), Dan Cole (Leicester Tigers), Geoff Parling (Exeter Chiefs), Courtney Lawes (Northampton Saints), Tom Wood (Northampton Saints), Chris Robshaw (capt, Harlequins), Ben Morgan (Gloucester Rugby).

Replacements: Rob Webber (Bath Rugby), Mako Vunipola (Saracens), Kieran Brookes (Northampton Saints), Joe Launchbury (Wasps), Billy Vunipola (Saracens), Richard Wigglesworth (Saracens), Owen Farrell (Saracens), Sam Burgess (Bath Rugby).

Originally published as Rugby World Cup: Sam Burgess named on England bench for opening match