Bath shift Burgess to blindside

Sam Burgess has been shifted from midfield to the back row at Bath. Photo / Getty Images

Sam Burgess' first experience in the back row lasted an hour as he played his part in a 29-19 victory over Newcastle that lifted Bath into second in the Aviva Premiership yesterday.

It was a solid, unspectacular first team debut as a blindside flanker that was never destined to give a definitive answer to the debate over whether the former rugby league star's future lies there or in the midfield, where he has made his previous 11 appearances.

But it was still a performance that pleased Bath head coach Mike Ford and only added to his belief that Burgess' long-term future is likely to be as a flanker, the position where the former South Sydney Rabbitohs player will feature for the rest of the season.

Ford said: "Sam has a lot to learn, but he is only going to get better, so we just have to keep playing him. It's hard for him because he has only been in the game six months, but I think you've seen the future.

"There were a couple of fumbles on the ground but his ball carrying was good and his workrate was up there with Francois Louw.

"He is not the finished article but the more we play him, the better he will get.

"He will be in the back row again and I would like to play him there against London Irish. We want to play fast and with the ball in hand and he suits that kind of game."

Bath captain Louw, who played alongside Burgess in the back row, was impressed by the Englishman.

"I think Sam did a decent job and showed he can play at six," said the Springbok. "It's important for him to find out what suits him best. The rest of us have had that luxury from the age of nine, while he's been thrown in at 25. So, while there is still a long way for him to go, he won't shy away from the challenge."

While the focus was on Burgess' 60-minute cameo, Ford stressed: "It's not all about him."