London: England coach Stuart Lancaster hailed debut centres Sam Burgess and Henry Slade after they inspired England to a hard-fought 19-14 victory over France in their World Cup warm-up at Twickenham on Saturday.
But the pair may well have given the coach an even bigger headache with the World Cup in mind as the process of selecting his final squad begins to get serious.
Former rugby league man Burgess certainly took no prisoners with his hits, tackling, field coverage and overall aggressive play during the match, which saw Bath wing Anthony Watson grab a brace of first-half tries.
Exeter youngster Slade was also as impressive, displaying the kind of ball-handling and controlled skills that certainly made him an instant hero with the home fans, who gave him a resounding ovation as he left the field in the second half.
Both players are said to be fighting for one place, with Brad Barritt, Jonathan Joseph and Luther Burrell looking cast iron choices for the final squad.
And both are now hoping to get another last chance to push their claims in the return match against France in Paris next Saturday.
“I was pleased with both Slade and Burgess. Sam’s first time at this level and he did well,” said Lancaster.
“It was disappointing for him to put himself in the sin-bin, but his physicality was excellent. He is prepared to get off the line and hit people.
“It is a competitive position with guys really keen to get the edge on the other. There is plenty to ponder in terms of whether either will be involved in Paris, we shall see.”
Lancaster added: “I am not in a rush to make any selection decisions for the World Cup. It’s important to get them right for Paris and we’ll do what is necessary.”
