Sam Burgess Must Commit to Forward Role in Order to Realise World Cup Dream

Experimentation in sport is always an intriguing and risk-ridden procedure, with England hopeful Sam Burgess left with a matter of weeks to stake his claim on a World Cup spot.

Whether the project is successful will depend largely on how efficiently Burgess can go about his work in the time he has left, and a permanent switch to the back row promises to yield the greatest benefits.

The time has come to cease the back-and-forth pondering over his potential as a centre; Burgess always faced a race against time to make the World Cup, and one would be hard-pressed not to admit he's more of a threat in the pack.

Maximising the danger he could bring with him to the World Cup won't be aided by any time wasted. We delve into the reasons why Burgess must devote himself to England's back-row battalion.

Technical Difficulties

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Rugby league and union are essentially two sides of the same coin, yet the differences between the two are so staggering it's rare for an athlete to ever truly embrace the two in equal measure.

The RFU and just about every England supporter presumably had the same vision upon hearing South Sydney Rabbitohs star Burgess was heading for the Rec.

"Finally," England coach Stuart Lancaster must have thought. "A centre solution to fit all occasions, and all he requires is one of the most intense crash courses ever witnessed in professional rugby."

It hasn't gone to plan, though, and instead of Burgess becoming the athletic and agile midfield weapon envisioned, he's struggled to adapt to the demands. World Cup winner Matt Dawson told Radio 5 Live he believes Burgess cannot play centre at the World Cup:

"

He's been found out playing for Bath in that midfield. Stuart Lancaster has said [Burgess has] power, skill, agility, defence. No question there. Lancaster didn't talk about reading the game, game-management, analysis, positioning. Burgess hasn't got it. When he's been in the forwards he's been a real threat. You can't take him to the World Cup just because he's good for morale. 

"

Without doing a disservice to the finer nuances of playing in the pack, forwards are largely looked upon as the simpler bunch in rugby for a reason. Up front, in the melee, things tend to be streamlined and less complicated.

And it's not as though England can afford to carry players at their home tournament, either. The suspension of Manu Tuilagi shortens the options at centre, while 5 Live's Chris Jones points out the quality of player in the firing line if Burgess did make it as a back:

Henry Slade and Luther Burrell are just two of the players at risk, with Brad Barritt and Kyle Eastmond also among those striving to fit into Lancaster's tactics.

If one were to be frank, the Burgess blueprint was a fine idea in principle, but for a man who only played his first game of union less than a year ago, it was simply asking too much.

At least in the forwards, Burgess can make a dent and be seen getting about the park making his mark, but the responsibilities and potential pitfalls are just too great in midfield, the core of the side.

England assistant coach Graham Rowntree even admitted earlier in July that it was still unclear as to where his priority position would be:

The Associated Press (h/t ESPN Scrum) has since reported Lancaster as saying England had centre in mind for the convert, but it strikes as an all too desperate decision considering his inability to do serious damage in the role.

In an area of the pitch so crucial, one would assuredly rather have a master of their trade than an unpolished gem merely trying to shine as brightly as possible.

The Piece Should Fit the Puzzle

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Individuals may enjoy their moments in the spotlight and accolades that go down in history, but one thing remembered about any team to have won a World Cup is the group that claimed the achievement.

In Burgess' case, it would be unwise for Lancaster to persevere with attempting to shape the player he desires and instead accept the tool at his disposal and maximising the impact of that.

Very seldom is it that a player comes along so talented that they warrant an entire lineup being built to fit their needs; Burgess certainly isn't that at centre but is receiving treatment that might suggest otherwise.

As Paul Williams of Rugby World points out, the 26-year-old's transfer to England is looking like quite the mess when it should have been clear a lot sooner as to where his future lay:

Burgess may be asked to do some things differently in union compared to his time in the National Rugby League, but one thing that's sure to remain true is that his coaches want to carry a lot of ball.

That's something the blindside flanker position will accommodate, and ex-England captain Mike Tindall agrees with former team-mate Dawson, posting his Burgess thoughts on Kicca.com:

"

Sam is an incredible athlete, powerful runner, aggressive defender that can hit hard (just ask Billy Vunipola), great engine and he's a great lad off the field but if you compare his performances for Bath at 12/13 or 6 they are not in the same league.

...

Burgess's issues at centre mainly come around decision making especially defensively as his whole career he has been allowed to go after people but in Union you have to evaluate every situation to make the correct decision especially off set piece. In watching his games for bath at centre teams were able to pull him out of position by knowing he would want to make a hit.

...

I think if Sam is going to make the squad his best chance is at Back Row but we will have to see what the England Management decide.

"

Lancaster's apparent urge to see Burgess at centre is odd too when one considers England's emerging midfield to actually be quite a talented one.

Jonathan Joseph shoulders a heavy burden as the future of the back line, but Eastmond and Burrell add some exciting dimensions, with Barritt and Billy Twelvetrees striving to fit in themselves.

Even with some cuts to make in the coming months, Lancaster has a raft of versatile options in that crop, a mix that doesn't need a decidedly subpar Burgess complicating matters further.

To elect Burgess to the squad as a back would be a decision made with the heart and not the head, precisely the kind of behaviour to be avoided heading into a home World Cup.

All or Nothing

Despite all debate, it's undoubtedly worth pointing out Burgess will most likely have a minimal say in the matter, doing as all good players do and simply play where the manager wants him to, as the cliche goes.

However, he should be striving as much as anyone to play where he's likely to cause the greatest stir, even if that would mean going up against some very heady opponents for the job.

In the back row, England have Chris Robshaw, Tom Wood, James Haskell, Matt Kvesic and Calum Clark competing for the flanker spots, not to mention those dropped and omitted thus far.

BT Sport blogger Shaun Wren rightly points out Lancaster must hold a great deal of hope for the player, considering some of the talents who have already missed out on their World Cup ambitions:

Having been brought up in the harsh wilds of league, however, Burgess doesn't seem the type to shy away from a good-natured contest for playing time against some superbly gifted individuals.

Sure, the situation at centre could make his plight an easier one up until the World Cup, but what comes after that? Does he play a bit-part role in midfield and be caught out by the opposition? Does he play any part at all?

In an ideal world, Burgess' hulking figure would have had a three-year window to adapt to rugby in a more gradual manner. However, such are the cards he's been dealt, it's at six he throws his weight about best.

Fellow convert Israel Folau, who came to Super Rugby's Waratahs from the NRL via Aussie Rules, was candid in saying Burgess would be of more use in the forwards, per Fox Sports (via Planet Rugby):

"

He’d definitely be better in the forwards. His skill set looks suited to a running forwards position. But I’m sure wherever the coach decides to play him he’ll do really well. 

For me coming across as an outside back I felt like my transition was a little bit easier because it is very similar to my role playing rugby league. But a forward’s role in league and union is very different. There are a lot of new things to pick up and the style is quite different.

But a guy like Sam Burgess who is very talented can pick up the game quite quickly and he’s definitely got some talent so I hope he does really well.

"

With less than two months to go until the start of the tournament, it's completely feasible fans could see Burgess lining up against Australia, Wales and Fiji at the World Cup, but it's only thanks to his back-row shifts that's even the case.

We should take that as a clear signal the ever-improving powerhouse is best suited among the forwards, ploughing resources into that side of his development rather than wasting time on a lost path at centre.