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Bath Rugby boss Mike Ford: 'Sam Burgess will remain flanker at club level'

Bath Rugby head coach Mike Ford says that Sam Burgess will continue to play at flanker at club level, despite being told he will only be considered at centre for England.

Bath Rugby head coach Mike Ford has said that Sam Burgess will remain a blind-side flanker at club level, despite England coach Stuart Lancaster saying that he will only be considered at centre for England.

The 26-year-old converted to rugby union from rugby league in 2014 but remains uncapped for the national side since the switch.

Earlier this month Lancaster stated that Burgess will only be considered for his country in his old position ahead of the Rugby World Cup this autumn, a decision questioned by former England scrum-half Matt Dawson earlier this week.

Despite Lancaster's insistence, Ford maintained that Burgess would be continuing in his current role for Bath.

"He's only going to play at six," Ford told BBC Radio Bristol. "If he was with us in pre-season and not with England, he could learn his lineout roles better.

"I know ultimately he'll come back a better player with his experience at the World Cup, so I'm pretty chilled about it. It doesn't concern me at all. Wherever he plays, he'll contribute to the England team."

Burgess previously appeared 13 times for England and twice for Great Britain while playing rugby league, but has only featured for England Saxons in January since moving to union.

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Bath's English centre Sam Burgess looks on during the European Rugby Champions Cup rugby union match between Bath and Montpellier at the Recreation Ground in Bath, south west England on December 12, 2014
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