Sam Burgess will start his Bath career in the centres, but head coach Mike Ford still expects him to excel in the back-row.

South Sydney Rabbitohs star Burgess will trade codes for rugby union in October, joining Bath in a bid to break into Stuart Lancaster’s 2015 Rugby World Cup squad.

England view Burgess as a natural centre, while Bath’s aim to convert him into a loose forward raised potential tensions when the west country club completed his signing in March.

Ford believes Bath and England are now “on the same wavelength” about Burgess’ transition from league to union however.

Bath footed the entire bill to buy Burgess out of his long-term South Sydney NRL contract, rejecting any financial assistance from the Rugby Football Union.

Ford said Bath will continue to call the shots on their high-profile recruit’s phased transition.

“We’ve got a plan for him now, but there’s so many variables,” said Ford ahead of Burgess’ expected October arrival at Bath.

“Clearly we’ll probably look at him in the centres first and foremost, let him learn the game from afar really.

“We’ve got a plan for him in the centres to start with, but my gut feeling is he will end up in the pack.

“Whether that will be Christmas, whether it will be Christmas 2015 who knows? He’s here for a long time so we’re not too worried about that.

“They’ve got nothing to do with him, the RFU have got no say in his development at Bath Rugby.

“They haven’t asked us to play him at centre, but clearly I’ve spoken to Stuart and we’re on the same lines.”

Bath will aim to ease the 24-year-old into rugby union when he arrives at The Recreation Ground after four years in the NRL.