England coach Steve McNamara excited by Sam Burgess return

Coach Steve McNamara cannot wait to have Sam Burgess back in his England side.

Burgess is returning to rugby league following a year in rugby union during which he played for England at the World Cup.

His selection, in the squad ahead of Northampton centre Luther Burrell, and then in the starting team against Wales, was controversial.

When England were knocked out in the Pool phase, Burgess was given time off by his club Bath to consider his future, and when he returned he announced he would be switching codes again, back to league with his former club South Sydney Rabbitohs in Australia's NRL.

McNamara says Burgess has unfairly been made a scapegoat for England's calamitous World Cup campaign when defeats to Wales and Australia meant they became the first hosts to fail to qualify for the quarter-finals.

"In my opinion, from where he's come from, to play for England at rugby union in such a short space of time… he does some things really well," McNamara told Sky Sports News HQ.

"At the end of every competition someone is always made a scapegoat if it hasn't gone well. For whatever reason, right or wrong, he seems to have been the target.

"He is going to be a great asset for rugby league and certainly a great asset for South Sydney in the not too distant future. For us as an England team moving forwards it is going to be tremendous to have him available for selection again."

The NRL is in its off-season, so Burgess will not be returning to competitive action until pre-season begins in February.

"He has got the off-season in front of him which really helps. He's not coming back and having to play next week," McNamara said.

"He has got a full off-season with the Souths. The only thing would be his fitness levels. There are different requirement levels for rugby union to rugby league. So if he was playing next week I'd suggest he may have an issue on the conditioning side. At the start of next season he will be flying."