Monday Round-Up

Lancaster pleased with Burgess: England head coach Stuart Lancaster was pleased with how Sam Burgess fared on his Test debut against France. The Rugby League convert made a huge physical impression in England’s midfield with a number of carries and big tackles in defence. Burgess did see yellow for interfering with play after not retreating ten metres but overall Lancaster was happy with his contribution. "Sam was good. He was disappointed to put himself in the bin but I thought his decision-making about when to pass and when to carry was good," Lancaster told reporters. "He delivered on his defensive physicalty which we hoped he would bring and he basically translated what we've seen in training into the game, which is quite a hard thing to do on your first cap and when it's a big occasion, but I thought he did well.  He’s prepared to get off the line and hit people. He gives us balance in midfield and runs good lines, but there’s also a lot of competition.”