Aviva Premiership

Bath want to play Burgess in the pack

ESPN Staff

England and Bath seem to have different ideas over where Sam Burgess is best suited to play © Getty Images Enlarge

Bath look set to use rugby league recruit Sam Burgess in their back-row rather than in the centres, according to reports in the Daily Mail.

Burgess' switch to Bath was announced in February and it was originally thought he would play in the centres. England coach Stuart Lancaster has previously said he believes Burgess to be best suited to a role in the backs but Bath seem keen to play him at No.8.

When rumours of Burgess' switch to rugby union originated, the Rugby Football Union was rumoured to be paying half of his transfer fee. But after a wrangle over the finer details, Bath owner Bruce Craig stumped up the £280,000 release clause giving the club sole ownership of Burgess.

There were some suggestions that if Burgess opted to play in the centres, he had an outside shout of forcing his way into the England squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup. But with Billy Vunipola and Ben Morgan established at No.8, if Burgess ends up there then he will have a harder task of making the fast-track into international rugby.

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