RUGBY LEAGUE RETURNEE Sam Burgess has hit back at his critics following his failed experiment with rugby union.
The 26-year-old admitted his heart wasn’t in the game and felt that he was unfairly targeted following England’s disappointing Rugby World Cup campaign. He believed, in particular, he was made a scapegoat after England’s 28-25 loss to Wales on September 26.
“A lot of people outside the England camp had an agenda against both England and in some circumstances, me,” he wrote in the Daily Mail.
“This was an upsetting factor to me, that people who are supposed to love the game are actually tearing it to shreds.
“Some ex-players just kept letting rip. It’s almost like they don’t want anyone else to do well in the jersey. I didn’t want to stay in a sport like that.”
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Andrew Matthews
Andrew Matthews
Former Ireland inside centre Gordon D’Arcy was one of the most vocal in his criticism of Burgess, in his column for the Irish Times.
“Burgess lacks the sense of timing, in attack and defence, required to be effective at international level,” D’Arcy wrote at the time.
“His naivety embarrassed those around him and severely damaged England’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals.”
Burgess re-signed for NRL club South Sydney Rabbitohs last week after just over 12 months with Bath in the English Premiership.
The fiery competitor was one of Australian rugby league’s biggest names before his departure and he admits he missed the physical, confrontational nature of the 13-man code.
“What makes me love [rugby league] is the physical battle of it; I never found myself reaching that point [in union].
“My heart just isn’t in [rugby union], and if my heart’s not in it then [Bath and England] won’t get the best performances from me.”
'It's almost like they don't want anyone else to do well.' Is Sam Burgess having a pop at Gordon D'Arcy?
RUGBY LEAGUE RETURNEE Sam Burgess has hit back at his critics following his failed experiment with rugby union.
The 26-year-old admitted his heart wasn’t in the game and felt that he was unfairly targeted following England’s disappointing Rugby World Cup campaign. He believed, in particular, he was made a scapegoat after England’s 28-25 loss to Wales on September 26.
“A lot of people outside the England camp had an agenda against both England and in some circumstances, me,” he wrote in the Daily Mail.
“This was an upsetting factor to me, that people who are supposed to love the game are actually tearing it to shreds.
“Some ex-players just kept letting rip. It’s almost like they don’t want anyone else to do well in the jersey. I didn’t want to stay in a sport like that.”
Former Ireland inside centre Gordon D’Arcy was one of the most vocal in his criticism of Burgess, in his column for the Irish Times.
“Burgess lacks the sense of timing, in attack and defence, required to be effective at international level,” D’Arcy wrote at the time.
“His naivety embarrassed those around him and severely damaged England’s chances of reaching the quarter-finals.”
Burgess re-signed for NRL club South Sydney Rabbitohs last week after just over 12 months with Bath in the English Premiership.
The fiery competitor was one of Australian rugby league’s biggest names before his departure and he admits he missed the physical, confrontational nature of the 13-man code.
“What makes me love [rugby league] is the physical battle of it; I never found myself reaching that point [in union].
“My heart just isn’t in [rugby union], and if my heart’s not in it then [Bath and England] won’t get the best performances from me.”
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