Bath will not change Burgess says Ford

Sam Burgess is keen to get started in rugby union, according to Bath RUFC coach Mike Ford.

Ford, a former league star who played for Oldham, Wigan, Warrington, South Queensland and Castelford during a long and distinguished career, also insists that he will not be looking to change the style of play of the powerful forward.

“When I speak to him, he’s pretty excited, he keeps asking if we’ve booked his flights,” Ford told BBC Points West.

“He can’t wait. We’re going to have to look after him mentally and phsycially.

“It’s an unforgiving competition he’s in over there [in Australia], and he’s played every minute of every game.

“We’ll get him fresh, let him learn the game, then wheel him out when he’s ready to go.”

Although Bath are planning to play Burgess in the centres, Ford also acknowledges that the NRL levels of fitness the player possesses could make him a forward option too.

“It’s looking like he’s going to be playing in that position,” he confirmed.

“Only because it’s a little bit easier, in terms of the number of contacts you make in a game.

“If you put him in the forwards, then you’ve got the line-out and the maul to sort out, you’ve got a lot of rucks to hit.

“So we’ll put him at centre, which we feel he can play, and he might stay at centre for the rest of his career in rugby union.”

Ford also knows that Burgess is used to doing much more work in the NRL than he will ever do in a game of rugby union.

“I know that he’s doing 60 plays a game in rugby league – 60,” he emphasised.

“The one thing I’m determined to do with Sam Burgess is not change him.

“We’ve signed him because of who he is, and we’ve got to figure out a position for him, and a gameplan for him, to excel in.

“He’s got to be in the nitty-gritty parts of the game. He’s got to do plenty of plays. My gut feeling is that he will end up in the pack.”