Recently, there has been a lot of controversy about Rugby League player Sam Burgess joining England for the RWC2015 in Rugby Union. Burgess is set to start playing Union for Bath  in October this year which will give him around 3 months to adapt to the new playing styles of the game which starts on the 6th February 2015. But will he be ready? He stated, “With 2015 being a Rugby World Cup, it was an opportunity I had to pursue,” Burgess said. “I can’t wait to get my head down and start learning the game.” Alongside Tuilagi in the centres you could suggest that they would be impossible to stop but perhaps it is a difficult transition to make in such a short space of time.

Huge names in the past of the rugby industry have switched between League to Union and made a success but can Sam Burgess join this list of players:

Sonny Bill Williams (New Zealand) – began his career in league, switched to union to win 2011 World Cup then switched back and became runner-up in 2013 league World Cup.

Jason Robinson (England) – Won league World Club Challenge with Wigan Warriors before switching to be part of England World Cup-winning team of 2003.

Israel Folau (Australia) –  Was a league international before switching to Australian rules, he joined union in 2013 and made his Test debut against the British Lion.

Roy Hodgson certainly faces a team selection headache with the World Cup around the corner, and it’s difficult to ignore the goals Daniel Sturridge keeps scoring for Liverpool.

Sturridge has now scored 18 goals this season, while Wayne Rooney has scored 8 less, so would it make sense to play Rooney up front instead of Sturridge? It’s fair to say that Rooney has never hit top form for England, and Roy Hodgson may be thinking that time is about to change at this World Cup in Brazil, but Daniel Sturridge has shown he can score when he’s given the chance, and with Gerrard behind him in midfield that’s certainly possible.

We’d say that Sturridge should play up front with Rooney just behind. This is an attacking top 2 rather than a team looking to sit back, but it will all come down to Roy Hodgson and the team England are playing against.