Exclusive – Lancaster: Burgess has time to make England’s Rugby World Cup squad

England head coach Stuart Lancaster said it will be “fascinating” to watch Sam Burgess develop in rugby union, with many pundits touting the former league star to be included in the Red Rose's World Cup squad next autumn.

Burgess made his union debut for Bath against Harlequins on Friday night, after making a switch from NRL side South Sydney Rabbitohs, and Lancaster - speaking in an exclusive interview with talkSPORT - compared the 25-year-old with Jason Robinson, who made the same switch between the two formats.

“Bath will have to develop him,” said Lancaster. “I trust them to work with him.

“Certainly he will be a player of interest to us without a doubt. How it evolves over the next six to eight weeks will be fascinating. He’s had a little taste of rugby union albeit a short one but that will only grow in the next few weeks.

“We’ve not made any provisions one way or another. There are teams who will be picking a World Cup squad of 31 players and people say time’s tight, but I remember having a conversation with Jason Robinson and he joined union in November, played in the Six Nations and went on the British Lions’ tour that summer.”