New Zealand v England, 1st Test
Burns moves on from difficult season
Tom Hamilton in Auckland
June 6, 2014
After a turbulent 12 months, Freddie Burns starts for England on Saturday © Getty Images
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Freddie Burns is determined to move on from a difficult 12 months and put down a marker in Saturday's first Test against the All Blacks.

Burns spoke with confidence when he fielded questions from the media on Thursday ahead of just his second international start on Saturday. He admitted he has been through a difficult time on a personal level after seeing his form dip last term while he weighed up just where his domestic future lay.

In the end he opted for Leicester Tigers and has vowed to put last season's errors behind him and concentrate on doing a job on Saturday. Burns revealed Stuart Lancaster helped him re-focus and he has vowed to keep any internal dilemmas personal rather than voicing them to the media like he did back in December.

"All I can take from this season is there are 101 things I would do differently, looking back. I was 23, I'm still only 24 now," Burns said. "I'll learn from it to make sure I'm a better player and a better person.

"If I find myself in that situation again, then I'd like to think I would handle it slightly differently. The biggest thing I'd do differently is not talk to the media. I'd have just probably kept it to myself. By going out in front of the media and talking, it almost brought more pressure on me. I felt like it did.

"I felt like it turned more eyes on to me really. It then seemed to raise more questions than answer them. The main thing I want to take from what has been a difficult year is the fact that I live and learn and get better and hopefully toughen up. Learning how to deal with certain situations is one of the big points coming from a tough year.

"Now it's a case of being in a different set-up with England. They want me to play differently to how we play at clubs and I say it's a big opportunity for me."

Like Rob Webber, Burns echoed the mantra Lancaster addressed his squad with this week - "the greater the challenge, the greater the opportunity" - and despite England being written off by most, Burns is relishing the challenge awaiting his team on Saturday.

"I'm really excited to get out there and we have a good bunch of boys in the team. We've trained exceptionally well and we're ready for Saturday. To play the All Blacks over here at Eden Park is something that you can't let daunt you.

"You've just got to get excited about it and go out there and have a go. We've been in camp for two weeks now already so are champing at the bit to get out there and really get stuck in."

© ESPN Sports Media Ltd
Tom Hamilton is the Associate Editor of ESPNscrum.

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