Huge step forward for ‘Slammin’ Sam Burgess

The journey is supposed to end at Twickenham in the World Cup Final on October 31, but it begins in earnest at Musgrave Park.

In Bath little short of a circus follows Burgess’ every move, documenting each step of his journey from rugby league superstar to, potentially, World Cup winner.

Tonight is a huge step forward in that development. After just five games in rugby union Burgess will represent his country, starting for England Saxons against the Irish Wolfhounds in Cork. Yet there are still a multitude of things he freely admits are taking time to get used to. The weather, for one, with Cork tonight expected to be just 25 degrees cooler than Sydney, his home for the past four years, by kick-off.