It always seemed a bit strange. The entirety of England's failed World Cup challenge seemed to be laid at the feet of rugby league convert Sam Burgess.
He was pronounced the saviour of English rugby when he left the NRL in Australia to join Bath last year, but Burgess was never allowed to settle in union before being thrust into the spotlight in England's biggest game in four years against Wales in the World Cup.
Burgess was barely in union for a year, and hadn't even discovered his best position before he was put into the World Cup spotlight much too soon. It appears that the vitriol directed at him has looked to have pushed him away from the sport.
The BBC are reporting that Burgess has left Bath, and rugby union, to return to NRL and his former team the South Sydney Rabbitohs. Burgess leaves his Bath contract just one year into a three-year deal.
Burgess is the latest high-profile rugby league convert to abandon plans after Benji Marshall's three month "attempt" at Super Rugby before he returned to the NRL, but the likes of Brad Thorn, Sonny Bill Williams, Israel Folau all managed the switch with more success.
