Former rugby league star Sam Burgess said Wednesday he had been given a "great opportunity" after being selected for the reserve England Saxons squad barely two months into his competitive rugby union career.
Now at English Premiership side Bath, where he has been played at centre, Burgess has been chosen in a 24-man Saxons group for their match with the Irish Wolfhounds in Cork on January 30.
Burgess, who returned home in a bid to gain selection in hosts' England's squad for the 2015 World Cup, has only made seven first-team appearances for Bath since his switch from NRL champions South Sydney Rabbitohs.
However, his early weeks at south-west side Bath recovering from a facial injury suffered during the NRL grand final, but he made a debut off the bench against Harlequins in November.
Three starts then followed, including a try-scoring performance in the Premiership victory over Wasps earlier this month.
"I am really excited. It's a great opportunity to get out and see what I can do within the English set-up," Burgess said Wednesday.
"I am looking forward to meeting a few guys.
"Obviously, the injury delayed things, so it is good to get the opportunity.
"It has been a steep learning curve for me. You learn in training, but I think you do the most realistic learning on a game day.
"Certainly, as my minutes on the field have crept up, I think my performances have improved and I have got more game-awareness."
The 26-year-old added: "There is still so much to learn and so many things to improve on, but I am really enjoying the transition. I am starting to understand the game a bit more.
"I think the game is as complicated as you make it," he added. "I try to look at it as simply as possible. If you do the simple things well, you put yourself in a good position.
"Understanding the breakdown of all the different areas of the game has been interesting. The skill level inside a game is unbelievable.
"It's chaos out there on the field in terms of everything happening so fast. Every ruck is contestable, and it is a totally different mindset.
"I am just taking it day by day. It literally is one game at a time for me. I will stick with that, and keep trying to improve on a weekly basis."
Source: AFP