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Former England international Tom May looks at how debutants Sam Burgess and Henry Slade performed against France on Saturday. Will it be enough to see them force their way into the final 31-man Rugby World Cup squad?

Sam Burgess

Much has been written about Burgess since his transformation from a rugby league cult hero to a union recruit. The pressure for him to perform is monumental. When I saw him play for England Saxons on a damp night against the Irish Wolfhounds I wasn't convinced he would make it in time for the Rugby World Cup but I've now changed my mind.

Within 45 seconds of the start of Saturday's game he had made a solid dent in 80-cap veteran Dimitri Szarzewski. The hooker loves carrying the ball, not this time. He was knocked over by a monster midfielder announcing his arrival to Test rugby.

Defence was never going to be a department in which Burgess was lacking. He's played at the highest level in league and doesn't miss many tackles. He won't in union either.

Lining up against your opposite number you want to win those battles. Burgess stuck two big hits on the French midfield: Lamerat and Dumoulin copped one each. Both are big lumps themselves and were made to look significantly smaller than the on rushing Burgess. Defending in the traditional outside centre role is difficult. There is more space to cover with runners coming from several angles at increasingly alarming speed. I would keep Burgess closer in, let whoever he is paired with look after the rest. On the odd occasion, he looked a little heavy, lacking a yard of toe when he had the likes of Dulin and Guitone haring about. There are clearly times when circumstance has it that he could end up in the wide channels but I would keep him closer to George Ford or Owen Farrell in the midfield and protecting them.

Attacking play is massive for England this autumn. They need to score tries and in Watson, Joseph, Nowell and Jonny May, they have players that can exploit holes in defences. Pace is the key ingredient putting fear into defences and England have stacks. I was keen to see what Burgess added to England's attacking play. I knew he could be direct and we saw one or two great carries complete with excellent ball presentation, something that is always needed when trying to get the ball to the dangerous runners. His role is to simply hold defenders up which allows the faster players time and space.

This is where he is needed for England, there is no need for anything fancy about his play. Yes, he can offload and can also use his hands when he put Mako Vunipola away but England want him to do the simple things in attack and I'm not sure the other centre options can compete when it comes to that.

His league background and YouTube clips of him knocking over a certain Sonny Bill Williams prove what he can do but the opposition have seen them too. So the opposition will be waiting for him to put a foot wrong.

Stuart Lancaster said before Saturday's game that Sam Burgess was a good man but that he had "to be a great rugby player too". He also spoke about players like Ma'a Nonu who England will need to stop if they are to win the tournament. Physicality isn't an issue and Burgess will not be someone opposing teams forget during analysis sessions.

But it was his first cap. We can't call him great yet but there is more than enough to say that by the end of this warm up fixture list and moving into the Rugby World Cup, England will have a player who poses a serious threat to anyone in the tournament and who can seriously dent defences and indeed defenders.

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Henry Slade

Lining up alongside Burgess was a fresh-faced Henry Slade; the physicality and brutality of one centre contrasted by the guile, dexterity and aptitude of another.

I thought Henry Slade was brilliant in his first game and he has held his hand up strongly for a place in the final squad. No other centre that England are looking at has the ball playing ability shown by Slade.

His pass for Watson's first try was simple. Most players could do that but if you watch how he was assessing the defence and adjusting his width accordingly he gave his winger the one on one chance knowing that was all he needed. Several other England centres would have carried that into contact. He adds brains and vision to an England back line that is full of runners. The best backlines England have had included Will Greenwood or Mike Catt in the centres, normally outside Jonny Wilkinson.

Another pair of eyes, hands and feet go a long way to easing the pressure off the fly-half. It makes a big difference and I think this weekend we saw a glimpse of what is to come from Slade. He will be in the England side for a long time to come and it's an exciting thought as he brings out so much from the players around him. Watson, Joseph and co. are all young and there is something exciting brewing there.

But despite how well he played, has this tournament come too early for Slade? That's the big question. The competition is fierce for the centre spots. Brad Barritt will make the cut for his defensive capabilities. Jonathan Joseph will go because he can produce something from nothing, a requirement if England are to win on home soil. And I reckon big Sam will go.

What did Slade's performance do for his chances? It would be great to see him given another shot this weekend against France as we know more about the other options already. If he can reproduce his last performance then I think he adds something that no one else can give to the England squad which will boost their armoury and chance of lifting the trophy. Fingers crossed for him as I think he could be key.