Sam Burgess Union debut : Fri Nov 28, 2014 11:02 pm
Decided to subscribe to BT Sport so I could watch Sam's Union debut tonight, Bath v Harlequins.Wouldn't normally watch Union and apart from seeing how Sam went on, what a waste of money! What an abomination of a sport that Union is! Feel as though I'd have a Trade Descriptions claim for them using the word rugby in the name of their sport. Given that rugby is running, passing, tackling and kicking, only about 10% of what I saw tonight was that. Don't ask me what the other 90% was. But it wasn't rugby.
It was expected that Sam would come on from the bench after about 60 minutes so I watched carefully from the start of the second half. Before Sam came on, I exaggerate not, one scrum in the bottom corner took quarter of an hour. Ok, they had to keep re-setting it and that time covered three separate sin-binnings of three Harlequins forwards. For not pushing properly in the scrum!!! After each one, even though Bath got a penalty, they chose to have another scrum! Can't imagine what Sam would have made of it.
By the time Sam got on, Bath had made sure of the win agInst the side with three men short. Sam got on for the last 18 minutes. He had the ball in his hands twice and didn't have to make a single tackle.
Camera caught a glimpse of him during one of many interminable stoppages (for no apparent reasons) having to hang about standing around in the back line doing nothing 'till play re-started.
All I can say is that he'll be earning his big money pretty easily - if he can stand the boredom and frustration of that game. Plus point is that he'll be fresh enough to do another four years at top level in RL when he's seen out his time in Union.
But he's a top bloke. He'll enjoy the camerderie of what have become his new mates. And, as you'd expect, he spoke very diplomatically when intervierwed at the end of the match. Be interesting to know what he really thinks deep down though.
Wish him well and hope he can some how show his true rugby skills in that ridiculous game.
