Rugby World Cup: Sam Burgess set for super sub role for England’s clash against Fiji

SAM Burgess is set to be the grand gamble of opening night at the Rugby World Cup but may be an irrelevance by the time England size up the Wallabies.

LONDON, ENGLAND - SEPTEMBER 05: Sam Burgess of England is tackled by Ian Madigan of Ireland and Jared Payne of Ireland during the QBE International match between England and Ireland at Twickenham Stadium on September 5, 2015 in London, England. (Photo by Shaun Botterill/Getty Images)

SAM Burgess is set to be the grand gamble of opening night at the Rugby World Cup but may be an irrelevance by the time England size up the Wallabies.

The former NRL powerhouse with just 91 minutes of Test rugby behind him seems certain to be selected for a significant cameo off the bench at centre against Fiji at Twickenham.

Fans have paid up to $685 for the best seats at the sellout tournament opener, on Saturday morning (Qld time), to size up how bold host England’s quest will be.

WOODWARD: Wallabies can’t scrum, can’t kick

The Burgess experiment will be judged along with it because no one player’s value has so divided media minds and broken-nosed former England internationals.

He is either a super sub for his bullocking runs and heavy hitting or a liability playing in a position he is unsuited for because of his lack of instinct for unscripted backline moments.

Sonny Bill Williams already had seven Tests and more than 50 club games of rugby behind him when he transitioned from rugby league forward to centre-winger for the 2011 World Cup.

Burgess has nowhere near that background or comfort.

Sam Burgess makes an offload against Ireland.

England’s former World Cup-winning skipper Martin Johnson said the hype around Burgess was out of kilter with the size of the role he’ll play at the World Cup.

“People say he’s got an aura. Sure, he’s got an aura until he gets exposed by someone,” Johnson told England’s Mail on Sunday newspaper.

“There’s Test match rugby and then there’s playing the big boys like the Boks, the All Blacks and the Aussies.

“That’s the top-end stuff and he’s not proven at that level so just calm yourself until he’s proved it.”

Former English lock Simon Shaw even said Burgess looked “scared” of unfamiliar events going on around him in his recent tune-up against Ireland because he’d had so little time as a rugby centre.

Credit to England coach Stuart Lancaster for punting on X-factor because Burgess is not like just another boring baseliner at the French Open in tennis.

The Hayne-style fairytale for Burgess may already be shuffled off the table by the time England take on the Wallabies in their crunch pool game early on October 4 (Qld time) because he has little versatility for the bench.

Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph are strong bets to start in the centres against Fiji.

Burgess will be grateful he has some experience of unpredictable Fijian flair thanks to a man-of-the-match effort for England against the Pacific islanders in Hull during league’s 2013 World Cup.