Bath Rugby
Sam Burgess 'did enough' to make England squad - Mike Ford
ESPN Staff
August 16, 2015
Sam Burgess was in the spotlight on debut for England against France.
Sam Burgess was in the spotlight on debut for England against France.© Steve Bardens - RFU/The RFU Collection via Getty Images

Sam Burgess warrants a place in the England Rugby World Cup squad after his debut international performance against France, according to Mike Ford.

The Bath head coach was impressed with the efforts of his player for Stuart Lancaster's side, despite the former Great Britain rugby league star picking up a yellow card for a pull back on Morgan Parra in the second-half.

That didn't detract from his overall display in the eyes of Ford though, who felt Burgess contributed with both his tackling and the ball in hand during the 19-14 victory at Twickenham.

"He made a number of tackles, some of them very hard-hitting," Ford told the BBC.

"I also thought he was OK with the football, he did a couple of nice passes. He did everything right, he even got a try-saver at an important time.

"I think he did enough to make the squad. Lancaster is looking for leadership off the field and a presence in midfield."

Burgess is fighting for one of four centre places in England's 31-man squad, to be named on August 31. Selection would cap a remarkable 12 months for the 26-year-old, who only played his first Aviva Premiership match at the Rec back in November.

Ford is well-placed to judge who has international credentials, having worked as part of the England coaching staff at the 2007 and 2011 World Cups, but it's Lancaster's decision that counts and he could well take another look at the former Bradford Bull in next weekend's return clash with Les Bleus.

© ESPN Staff

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