Former England captain Will Carling has warned against Sam Burgess being included in the 2015 hosts' squad for next month's World Cup, saying the league convert has left himself too little time to learn the union game.
Burgess appears to be vying for a place with the far more experienced Luther Burrell as one of four centres in England coach Stuart Lancaster's World Cup squad, due to be unveiled on Thursday, with Jonathan Joseph and Brad Barritt having seemingly booked their places in a 31-man squad.
It was only 10 months ago that Burgess, having been man-of-the-match in South Sydney Rabbitohs' win in the Australian National Rugby League grand final, switched to union by joining English Premiership side Bath.
Burgess 26, made his England union debut in the 19-14 win over France at Twickenham a fortnight ago, producing a couple of strong tackles, but not enough in the opinion of former Test centre Carling to earn a place in a World Cup squad.
“I'm in awe of Sam as a rugby league player, but there is no one that I have spoken to who I respect – ex-players, coaches – who thinks he's ready,” said Carling at an event for World Cup sponsors Heineken in London on Wednesday.
Carling said the haste in which Burgess had been fast-tracked into the England squad had not done him any favours, especially as he had been deployed as a back-row forward by Bath.
“I don't understand what the rush is and it's unfair on him. I feel sorry for him. If he wants to make it in union, there's plenty of time,” Carling said.
“He's been playing union for 10 months and half of that was in a different position to what England are playing him in.
“He'll hit you hard if he can line you up and he's a great guy, but I don't believe he's one of the four best centres in England.
“He was functional against France and wasn't a disaster, but there was nothing that made me think 'wow'.
“I thought Henry Slade had a far bigger impact than Burgess with his touches and the way he read the game,” said Carling, England's captain at the 1991 World Cup, when they lost in the final to Australia at Twickenham.
“If you watched Burgess carefully he was out of position a huge amount in defence and England can't afford that against sides who will focus on him,” explained Carling.
“He hasn't had time in the game. He doesn't understand where the ball is coming from and you can see that in the way his feet are when he lines up.
“The southern hemisphere boys will focus on him if he's playing. If (Australia centre) Matt Giteau plays against him... he'll sucker him on for the big hit and opponents will be coming from angles he doesn't understand.”
Meanwhile Carling expressed sadness at the reported omission from England's World Cup squad of Sale fly-half Danny Cipriani, who came off the bench to inspire something of a revival in an eventual 25-20 defeat by France in Paris on Saturday.
“Coaches have to make calls, but Cipriani wasn't given a chance. He didn't get a start, he didn't even get a half,” Carling said.
“In the 20 minutes he was given on Saturday, he was outstanding, but that doesn't seem to have mattered. Why was he even in the squad if they weren't going to give him a fair go? Any time he has had, he's been exceptional.” – AFP