BATH FANS HAVE been looking forward to tomorrow ever since their club announced the signing of rugby league star Sam Burgess.

England coach Stuart Lancaster has already made noises about the 25-year-old being a possibility for his World Cup squad next year, and there is widespread hope that Burgess will be the answer to England’s problems in midfield.

Despite hints that Mike Ford would use the 6ft 5ins West Yorkshire native in the back row at first, Burgess’ two appearances off the bench for Bath since recovering from a cheekbone injury have been in the centre.

Tomorrow, the 116kg powerhouse gets his very first start in professional rugby union, having been named in the 12 shirt for Bath’s Champions Cup clash with Montpellier at the Rec [KO 19.45].

His brief cameos so far have included a handful of strong carries to hint at his athleticism, but there is work to be done on Burgess’ tackle technique. Furthermore, Bath will look to benefit from the former Rabbitoh’s excellent handling and offloading skills.

With Montpellier having named Springbok Wynand Olivier and the clever Rob Ebersohn in their midfield, there is likely to be a test of Burgess’ ability to read and shift in defence too.

Source: NZAUTV Rugby Sevens/YouTube

Some of the hype in England over the Bath centre has been hard to digest, but we’ll be keeping a close eye on proceedings at the Rec tomorrow night.

Should Burgess’ integration continue apace, Ireland may have to deal with his ability sooner rather than later.

Twitter pics, illegal angles and BJ Botha’s problems with Wayne BarnesChanges on the cards for Munster before return leg with Clermont