Stuart Barnes: Picking Sam Burgess for England was a big mistake
Friday 6 November 2015 17:43, UK
Sky Sports rugby analyst Stuart Barnes has described the decision to name Sam Burgess in the England World Cup team as the "biggest selectorial cock-up" he has ever witnessed.
Barnes says Burgess was not ready to represent England at international level, less than a year after switching codes from rugby league to union.
The 26-year-old departed NRL side South Sydney Rabbitohs for English union club team Bath last autumn, and was quickly promoted to the national team ahead of this year's World Cup.
However, England failed to survive the group stages of the competition, despite being tournament hosts. Following a disappointing campaign, Burgess cited family reasons behind his decision to quit Bath in favour of a return to the Rabitohs.
And while Barnes does not blame Burgess for England's World Cup debacle, he says the responsibility lies squarely at the feet of head coach Stuart Lancaster.
He told Sky Sports News HQ: "The responsibility has to lie with the people who actually backed him when he wasn't ready.
"Bath take some responsibility but England take the lion's share. The biggest thing an international manager of any sports team has to do is to select well.
Fundamentally, the biggest selectorial cock-up I've seen in my lifetime
"If you select badly, then it doesn't matter how well organised you are or what you're coaching structure is, you won't be able to maximise your abilities.
"This is what happened with England. Sam Burgess did not cost England the game against Wales.
"But the decision to start him and Owen Farrell, and ignore 10 months of preparation, must have caused mayhem in the minds of the England players.
"Lancaster had every right to pick him but once he picked him he had to make sure that it worked.
"My problem is it never looked like it was going to work. Anyone who was objective about it could have told Stuart Lancaster he is not ready.
"It is fundamentally the biggest selectorial cock-up I've seen in my lifetime. Sam Burgess came here and gave it his best shot.
"He did it for his club and did it for England. You can't expect him, if picked for England, to say 'steady on Stu I don't think I'm ready.'
"He was picked because he's a winner and wanted to give it a crack."
Meanwhile Brian Carney, who has represented Ireland at both league and union, admits being surprised at the decision by Burgess to return to the NRL.
He said: "I'm surprised he went back. I thought he would stay a little longer at Bath - at least give it another year.
"It appears that the lure of playing in the World Cup was stronger than playing union.
"People say he left because he was made a scapegoat by people in the media after England's failure.
"I think he was pushed into the England squad ahead of more deserving players.
"But I don't think he was a scapegoat. I think if he had stayed in union he could have become one of the best players in the country."
