Code-hopper Sam Burgess believes he can make the England squad for the 2015 Rugby World Cup and wants Russell Crowe to be part of the journey.
Bath presented their star recruit on Thursday with Burgess revealing he convalesced at Crowe’s Coffs Harbour farm for four or five days after helping South Sydney win the NRL grand final.
The 25-year-old was recovering from surgery on his fractured cheekbone and eye socket.
“I just relaxed, we had a couple of beers together, we had a good time and that’s about it really,” Burgess told reporters in Bath.
“He’s still a very good friend and very supportive of this new chapter that I’m going into now.”
Burgess said he’d like to see the Rabbitohs co-owner attend a home game at the Recreation Ground – possibly wearing a Bath jersey.
There’s no timeline for Burgess’s first game with his new club.
He and coach Mike Ford say it could be weeks or months away depending on his recovery.
Burgess initially wants to earn the respect of his Bath teammates at training and insists he’s not looking too far ahead.
But there’s no denying he’d like to be part of Stuart Lancaster’s England World Cup squad.
“I’m coming in as an outsider, I understand that, it’s not going to be an easy transition, I’ve got plenty of hard work to do but I don’t lack belief,” he said when asked if he was confident he could make the cut.
Burgess spoke to Lancaster on the phone during the 2014 league season about his impending switch to union.
“As a friend he called to say g’day,” Burgess said.
“(But) we didn’t talk in depth about anything to do with England or the squad or position or anything.
“He understood that I was heavily into an NRL campaign.”
Ford believes Lancaster wants Burgess to first make it into the Bath team and for the club to do well.
“If we are there or thereabouts at the end of the season still playing good football, and Sam’s a big part of that, then I’m sure Stuart will pick him in the wider squad in the world cup – he’d be stupid not to,” Ford told reporters.
“But there’s a lot of things that have got to happen before that.”
The coach will initially experiment with Burgess in a number of position but admits “if you want my gut feeling I think Sam’s going to play in the backrow”.
Many in England hope the player nicknamed “Slammin’ Sam” will be their answer to Sonny Bill Williams.
When asked about the Kiwi who successfully switched from league to union and back again, Burgess on Thursday stated: “I’ve played against him now for a few years and what he’s achieved is exceptional.”
“If I can get anywhere near that I’d be quite happy,” he said.
