Looks like he is the fall guy for the Wales defeat www.skysports.com/rugby-union/ne ... erformance

Looks like he is the fall guy for the Wales defeat www.skysports.com/rugby-union/ne ... erformance

There's an incredible amount of union snobbery being directed towards the lad. Personally, I don't rate any of the rest of the squad to lick his boots. He's already done more stuff in his league career than most of that bunch of public school wnkas will ever do.

Fools! It wasn't Burgess' fault that there was a hole in the defence that led to the Wales try after he went off. Also it wasn't his fault that they chose not to go for goal to guarantee a draw. Ah well lets just blame RL as that avoids having to criticise establish RU players who were about as effective as a chocolate fireguard!

Some of the articles I've seen this week look like they were written before a ball was kicked on Saturday. Some of them couldn't wait to stick the boot in are desperate to see him fail.

To be fair, that's just an Irishman stirring the pot. Many of the reviews were quite positive; the Torygraph for example gave SB a 7, which I thought was possibly a bit generous.

Realistically he didn't do too much wrong, and a fair bit right, and it certainly wasn't his fault that England lost. His experienced international centre partner was probably the worst player on the pitch,

I fall for the same thing every time with Union, I buy into the hype, the wonderful presentation of a competitive WC with our national team playing with the nations recognition in their own stadium-all very impressive.

However when the game kicks off within no time at all I grow bored of the attributes I'm told I should respect as the 'thinking's man's rugby' (rucks/mauls etc). Because unlike a large percentage of the nation, I know about rugby league, and nothing advertises league more than a game of union.

So here we have it, told that it's one of the biggest games in England history and of course in the rugby world cup (for the record nothing has boiled my blood more than the pig ignorance of the RFU calling the comp RWC rather than the Rugby Union WC completely disregarding that there's another code) In this game Sam Burgess is destined to fail in the eyes of the media (who are all London based Union supporters from their public school days) when really is he to blame?

Lancaster plays an immobile Faz at 10 with the most static centre in all of rugby Barrit at 13 with Sam, an inexperienced RU player between the two doing what he can. Firstly he hammered Roberts shutting him of the game, knocked North into touch and generally did what he could. Scoreline was in England's favour until Sam was subbed, says it all really.

No surprise the 'northern league lad' is taking the stick...
I hope he comes back to league, where his skills shine, in a much more entertaining game.

If only league had money and brains behind it...

Good. The sooner he realises how his new family really think about him, the quicker he might return to his real family.

But I don't think it's only Sam. If England go out next weekend, will Andy Farrell keep his job? Suddenly they'll all remember that he's ex-RL too.

I can see the whole coaching staff going if they don't qualify past the group stage, Lancaster first.

I've been following the RUWC on another forum with some quite knowledgeable union fans. Hardly any of them are down on Sam Burgess at all. All agree that Barrit looked the problem (if it was down to one player) against Wales, and Sam did little wrong. One commented that it was precisely the errors expected of Burgess before the tournament (poor defensive positioning, etc) that the experienced Barrit was guilty of. Despite all that, I gather he'll be playing in the next game!

Lets hope the Aussies finish the job off on Saturday, if only to stop those nauseating O2 adverts.

^^^^ this, a lot of anti union sentiment on here, grew up in Wales watching union but prefer league, to my mind a faster game which is better to watch, no blame being attached to Burgess, most of the ire is falling on Lancaster and Robshaws arrogant decision to go for the try with Farrel on top kicking form and nearly 3 minutes left, Wales were more street wise and collectively mentally stronger and physically fitter and finished strong, i get the hump with Woodward who is a prize cock loudly claiming that England threw it away,
ps Lancaster threw Robshaw to the wolves in his post match interview and will not survive if they lose saturday,
finally most right minded union fans who watch league over the years are fully appreciative of what league has achieved and the top quality players they have and still produce

The point is that he's been dropped. Now that must be a new experience for SB at the best of times, but bearing in mind that he only went to Union to play in the World Cup, imagine how he's feeling? Assuming England get dumped out on Saturday, that's it ... he's basically chucked his career away for 40 mins of inffective action. And even if they get through, realistically what are the chances of him playing in a World Cup Final given the 'controversy' at this early stage?

I appreciate that he's probably enjoying their money, but good grief, he was on belting money in RL, and at the same time was regarded as a hero in the UK and first on the teamsheet in Aus. Imagine all that, and then consider that he's not just been dropped, but dropped by a pillock like Stuart Lancaster.

hes not throw his career away, whats he missed, 1 or 2 seasons he'll be back probably to Oz

I tried to watch a bit but found it incredibly boring. Can't fathom how anyone prefers it to RL. Come back Sam!

Let's just hope it doesn't have the same effect on him it had on Iestyn Harris, Karl Pryce, Lee Smith, Henry Paul etc

Chev Walker

I think he'll return to league to play in our 2017 World Cup.
From there he'll stay in League.
I do hope Wigan offerhim a contract, it would put 2000 on the gate if we signed him.

Very little chance of him coming to SL when plenty of NRL clubs would want him, and also all his family are there.

Sooner he was plying his trade in Aus and captaining England than watching grass grow at the RUWC.

Well, I think everyone here thinks that.

I think Owen Farrell sums up the English Rugby Union Supporter . Great Kicker Great kicker's win games . IMO the lad hasn't an ounce of flair in his body (but his kicks wins games) so they love him enough said .

Regards , EW

I'd slightly disagree, but, you know what? There's too much RU talk on this forum these days (largely thanks to the trolls). Let's stick to talking about our game!

I disagree. This is a very relevant thread to RL.

Every time a mercurial talent emerges, RU try to pinch him. Now, I'm not taking a moralistic position on this. We did the same to them and these lads have to go where the money is, so there's no blame in that regard.

However, the British game can't afford these losses indefinitely. So, when one of our genuine stars defects and then finds himself unused, underused, misused, abused ... whatever you want to call it, it seems perfectly legitimate that we discuss it with a view to working out whether it means there's more chance he'll come home.

As you said, we'd all love to see Sam Burgess back in RL, even if it's downunder. I see no reason why we can't talk about that and hope for the best, and if that means finding reasons why RU is a dog's breakfast of a sport that will only regress an athlete like Sam, so be it.

When it was first announced that he was moving to Union, Burgess stated was that if he stayed in the NRL then he wouldn't play past the age of 30 due to the intensity he plays and impact on his body.

He will be back there I think after May next year (when Bath's season finishes) as I don't think they will allow him to leave mid season to join Souths for the start of the 2017 season.

He looks to me like he has lost some muscle too, so he will need to add that back on

Well, RU's attempt to sabotage the Grand Final next Saturday by moving an England game to Man City on the same evening is looking pretty silly now. Up yours. Schadenfreude.