Sam Burgess insists club allegiances have been put to one side as England go in search of World Cup success on home soil when they start the tournament against Fiji on Friday.

England World Cup winner Neil Back is convinced the uncertainty surrounding boss Stuart Lancaster’s starting XV will come back to haunt him this autumn.

The debate rages on as to whether Sam Burgess can play international rugby union at centre, but whatever happens in this weekend’s acid test against France at Twickenham, former England captain Martin Johnson insists the experiment will be well worth it.

Clermont Auvergne full-back and European Champions Cup player of the year Nick Abendanon plus Toulon forward Steffon Armitage, who won the accolade last year, did not get a look in for the 50-man World Cup training squad, something Mark Cueto has little sympathy for.

One lucky 14-16 year-old will lead the teams out at a Rugby World Cup fixture in Manchester, experiencing first-hand the atmosphere and what it’s like to be a professional rugby player.

Premiership player of year George Ford and Owen Farrell – a British & Irish Lion and still just 23 – will go head-to-head in pursuit of the fly-half starting berth at this year’s World Cup with Danny Cipriani waiting in the wings.

A disappointing Commonwealth Games campaign in Glasgow brought an underwhelming fifth-place finish following defeats to Australia and Samoa however England lead the European Sevens Grand Prix ahead of the Manchester leg this weekend.