Can Slammin Sam make an impact in the 15-man game?
Saturday 29 November 2014 08:25, UK
Sam Burgess has been named on Bath's replacements bench for Friday's clash with Harlequins at the Recreation Ground and much is expected of the former rugby league star known as 'Slammin Sam'.
Many see him as the answer to England's midfield woes, despite him not yet playing a first-class game. Here, our experts give their views on Burgess and what we can expect to see when he takes to the field on Friday night...
Dewi Morris - England and Lions
Sam Burgess has had a massive success in league and I am looking forward to seeing what he does in union. I can’t see him playing in the forwards and really hope that they focus on him playing at centre. He is big and strong and will hit the line flat but he will need to get to grips with the intricacies of the breakdown. In league when you hit contact, the game stops. In union when you take contact, well, that is when the game begins. We know he has all the skills, he can run, he can pass and he can tackle, but it is getting to grips with the breakdown that he will need to master. He comes to union with a lot of expectation; a lot of people are calling him the saviour of the England midfield but first he needs to adapt to the 15-man game, get some quality games with Bath under his belt and then we shall see.
Phil Clarke - Wigan, Sydney City Roosters, Great Britain, England
There are some big lads who play rugby that look like Tarzan but play like Jane (that’s not meant to be derogatory to women’s rugby, just an observation that many of the biggest players in the game do not run as hard as you would expect). Sam Burgess is not one of them. His physical performances match his physical presence, but he’s not just about size. He has the skills of a player that you normally associate with someone half his weight. He can play as either a forward or a back in league. He can run, pass, tackle and kick the ball comfortably and accurately. He can listen and he can speak when needed. However, the most impressive aspect is his aura. I have met very few men in my life who radiate warmth like he does. People enjoy time around him; he leaves a lasting impression without trying to do so. He is a natural leader of men. His next challenge is to learn a new game and I am sure that in time he will master it. Good luck Sam.
Barrie McDermott - Wigan, Leeds Rhinos, Great Britain, England, Ireland
As an athlete, he has pretty much everything. He is lean and muscular with a great engine. He also has great agility for such a big man and a tremendous skillset. He also has a great understanding of both codes of rugby and I think he will make a massive impact in union. He will not be a square peg in a round hole, but will make people think slightly differently about how the role of centre is played. I have no doubt in my mind that he will be successful; his intellect and work ethic has helped him get over his obstacles. Burgess is a huge loss to league but what he will do in union will reflect very positively on the 13-man game and I think he will equal, if not overtake, what the likes of Jason Robinson and Brad Thorn have done in rugby union.
Scott Quinnell - Wales, Lions, Wigan
I am really looking forward to seeing how Sam goes. He is a big, powerful man and is one of the world’s top league players. I really think he will bring all the right aspects to the game of union. I think No.12 is his position; the backrow is a hard place to be and you have to know the dark arts - no one tells you about them, you find them out over a number of years. At 12 he can use his size and frame to get over the gainline and offload to support runners. They can also take the pressure off him by missing him on a few occasions. I just hope that people don’t put too much pressure on him to deliver early. I went from union to league and back again and you really have to settle in. The games are like chalk and cheese and after two years playing league I returned to union and it took me at least 10 games to get back into it. I remember my first game back in union; I thought it went really well, my Dad came up to me and said ‘What the heck are you doing? This is union, you have to run around after the ball; you can’t wait for it to come to you!’ Let’s allow him to settle in and see where he is at in six months’ time.
Maggie Alphonsi - England
Sam is a big physical specimen who loves to carry the ball hard and I think he will make a really good 12. He has 11 months and it would be good to see him part of the England set-up, but I think it will be good to see what he does for Bath.
