DRAGONS FUME AS ROOKIE BURGESS INSULTS HIS RIVAL
England rookie infuriates the Welsh as he asks: ‘Who’s Scott Williams?’
IT DID not take long for Sam Burgess to be introduced to the raging intensity of the AngloWelsh rivalry. No sooner had his starting selection been confirmed yesterday than he was embroiled in cross-border tension.
There were conflicting views on whether he fell or jumped willingly into the swirling hostility that so often accompanies this fixture. Suffice to say that England’s crosscode No 12 was defended and castigated in equal measure last night.
After being named at i nside centre in a revamped midfield unit, Burgess was brought in to face the media. In front of a bank of cameras, he was asked about his promotion to t he s t arti ng XV and t hen came the spark that lit so many Welsh fuses.
When it was put to the Bath player that Wales’s Scott Williams said he would prefer to play against him than Jonathan Joseph, he said: ‘Who’s that?’
The look on his face conveyed uncertainty — at least to this observer. Informed that the reference was to the Wales centre he will face tomorrow, Burgess grinned and added: ‘ Oh yes. OK, yes. I’ll just wait and see. I’ll just let my performance do the talking.’
While the conversation moved on, the day’s agenda had been parked right there, the handbrake on and the ignition turned off. Suddenly, this was the talking point. In fact, so totally did this little sideshow divert from Burgess’s controversial selection that cynics might speculate that England coach Stuart Lancaster put him up to it.
Within a couple of hours, the Welsh Dragon’s indignation about this perceived slur was at boiling point — as crudely apparent on social media. Reports invoked Ben Cohen’s infamous ‘ Shane who?’ remark, in relation to Shane Williams, which saw him vilified in Wales. One theory was that Burgess is fully aware who Scott Williams is and delivered a deliberate putdown, in response to a perceived slight from his opponent. Yet, it appears more likely that he was momentarily wrong-footed by the question and needed the clarification that it was the Scarlets player who had been referred to.
Either way, while the public outcry rumbles on, neither camp will consider it to be of real importance. Burgess himself is so infused with self-belief that he will not worry for a second; about the awkward moment on camera, the Welsh midfield, about starting in a World Cup game while still a Test novice in union — any of it.
This is the peak he had in his sights when he switched from league last October. These are the heights that he wants to operate at and, despite bumps along the way, his ascent has been rapid and emphatic. Asked if he had imagined this scenario as he began his transition, Burgess said: ‘Yes. I did imagine it. I had a vision of doing it. I feel comfortable. This was my goal, this was what I wanted to achieve; to be part of this squad.’
Burgess’s progress has been forensically studied every step of the way. The great and the good have lined up to say he is not ready, it is too soon, he will be found out. Well, so far he has made a mockery of the doomsayers. Now he is part of a midfield shake-up which has prompted a torrent of scorn, but he will not worry about that either.
‘It’s their opinion,’ he said. ‘I believe in myself. I feel like I’ve got the respect of my team-mates and the staff here. Those are the opinions that really count to me. I’ll just wait and see on Saturday.
‘I don’t believe what people say. I believe in Stuart. I believe what he’s picked. My job as a player is to go out and deliver the job that he’s given me. That’s my main focus at the moment. As a group we deal with the exterior talk and everything well. As a group we move on and believe in ourselves.’
What awaits Burgess at Twickenham tomorrow is an occasion which will throb with primal ferocity — and an opponent aiming to show the English upstart whose realm he has wandered into.
Jamie Roberts is a Wales stalwart who wore No 12 for the Lions on their last two tours and will seek to capitalise on any slight uncertainty or hesitancy demonstrated by his new, heavyweight rival.
‘Jamie’s a great player; very big and dominant,’ said Burgess — who will have a weight advantage of around a stone. ‘I’m looking forward to the battle. I don’t want to make any bold predictions, but I’ll be ready on Saturday.’
As for the magnitude of the fixture and all that surrounds it, he added: ‘It’s going to be a whole different beast. It’s a World Cup, it’s at Twickenham. It’s a home game. It’s a different occasion.
‘I’ve got no experience against Wales. I’ve never played against them before. I’ve got none of the scars or bad experiences against them. I’m just looking forward to it.’
There is no way that abuse on social media over a putdown — deliberate or inadvertent — will scar Burgess. It will take more than that to knock him from his stride. He has blazed a trail to the summit of his new game and now he is determined to stay there and savour the view.