Burgess: Inspired or Foolhardy
By Cherry Picker
February 17 2014
Sam Burgess is a world class rugby league player - but that is no guarantee he can reach the same heights in rugby union. So why have Bath and England splashed out on a player who won't arrive until October and yet is expected to star in the Rugby World Cup less than a year later? And what message does it send out to the present England squad including our own exciting, talented and experienced representatives?
It also appears that while Bath and England have colluded in buying out big Sam's contract in Australia nobody is sure where he will play. On the face of it he's a possible No 6 or No 8. But both positions are highly technical, multi-faceted and England are not short of decent players in those positions.
So might he be a centre? Probably, but there's a lot to learn there too and the traditional route is to bring in former league backs on the wing and give them time to get the feel and interpretations of the game - such as tackling with arms.
The mad panic to sign Sam suggests the lad won't be given that chance. Methinks it's a year too late.
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No doubt Barff will sell plenty of season tickets off the back of it though.
One of the world's best rugby players who has chosen to play Union and who has chosen to play it at Bath when he apparently had other offers.
Wonder if Gloucester was one of them?
Suggest you concentrate on getting your own house in order
Its a really odd situation when the RFU/England target these players and then look for a suitable club to house them.
I feel that it is wrong, but I really struggle to put up a logical argument as to why, apart from fears that signing big name players will push up the overall wage expectation of every AP player.
Anyway good luck to him and I hope he makes the transition very successfully.
It will be very interesting but not quite sure why Bath have gone for him unless they reckon they can sell lots of shirts with his name on.
If he is not very good at Union it won't help them on the pitch, and if he is he'll spend more time with England in a world cup year so they won't see much of him.
Show them how Bath.