Tuesday 10 November 2015 15:40, UK
Sam Burgess felt he was always fighting "a losing battle" in rugby union and believed that some former players had "an agenda" against him.
In a column for the Daily Mail, Burgess has broken his silence for the first time since leaving Bath with two years left on his contract and returning to rugby league with the South Sydney Rabbitohs.
The 26-year-old was selected for England's World Cup squad as a centre ahead of more experienced players such as Luther Burrell, despite finishing last season as a flanker for Bath.
Burgess was criticised by many for his performances during England's disappointing World Cup campaign, but feels that criticism was unfair and believes some former England players do not want the current team to succeed.
"To get in that 31-man squad, I had to work so hard," Burgess said. "To crack it was really, really tough but I loved that. I made it into the team as a 12 and I really felt that I fully deserved to be there.
"I think a lot of people outside the England camp had an agenda against both England and in some circumstances, me.
"Certain ex-players had an agenda and sections of the media had an agenda, too. I also think certain coaches not involved with England had an agenda.
"Slowly but surely, when you are trying to get support within the team and the voices from outside with an agenda are so strong, it's too powerful. No matter what I did, I always felt that I was fighting a losing battle.
"Some ex-players just kept letting rip. It was a losing battle from day one. I couldn't believe it. It's almost like they don't want anyone else to do well in the jersey."
Despite playing at centre for England in the World Cup, Bath had planned to select Burgess in the back row this season but this was not a position he was keen to play.
Burgess wanted to remain in the centre and felt it could have taken him up to 18 months to break into the England team in the back row, a position where he felt he had much more to learn.
"I came to union to try to play at 12, but I ended up playing at six for Bath," Burgess said. "I managed to get into the England training squad as a 12, even though I was playing as a flanker for my club.
"The competition in the back row was really tough and I had no chance of making the team there, but at 12 I had a better shot because there aren't as many technicalities in the way so you can learn it quicker. At six England wanted a jumping option in the lineouts, an area in which I have no experience."
