England centre Brad Barritt hails ‘bold’ Rugby World Cup squad

“There never is one moment in selection”, emphasised Lancaster, again highlighting Burgess’s potential threat as a decoy runner.

Sam Burgess has been included in England’s World Cup squad by head coach Stuart Lancaster.

Burrell has the body of work.

Exeter’s Henry Slade, is named as one of the four centres alongside Burgess, Saracens’ Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph of Bath.

Burrell may feel he has been punished for toiling against the same opposition seven days later in Paris, but so too did most of the England squad.

Image copyright Getty Images Image caption Luther Burrell misses out despite having starred in the last two Six Nations.

“It’s really positive that we have such depth and options to choose from”.

“Obviously he’s come in, learnt the game at Bath”.

“He’s earned the right“.

“There’s a controversy over picking Burgess but, to be honest, I think the writing was on the wall when he survived that first cull”, said Penberthy.

“There is no doubt that he has advanced his cause to a point in this camp where, if you’d asked me at the start I would have said “he’s a talent player but to go from a good chance to in is very impressive”.

Lancaster, however, has been hugely impressed by his physicality and big-match temperament and, after just over one hour’s global action in the home warm-up against France, has trusted him to continue his progress in the white heat of a World Cup.

Meanwhile, former England captain Will Carling has recommended that Lancaster also omit Sam Burgess from the squad, despite acknowledging that the player has made a successful transition from the league code to union over recent months.

“I understand the selection decisions we have made – everyone is entitled to their opinion – but all we can do is judge it on how much confidence we have in the players based on what we’ve seen over the last 10 weeks”, said Lancaster.

It is not Burgess’s fault that the England coaches seem to be about the only ones who reckon the league convert is ready for a union World Cup, but you got some understanding of their reasoning when, on Wednesday, Andy Farrell was explaining Danny Cipriani’s omission: “Twenty minutes of rugby cannot be the sole reason you pick someone”.

“We’ve got to put our time and energy and belief into the three hookers in the squad”.

One-time Doncaster player Kieran Brookes was picked as prop ahead of injury-plagued Alex Corbisiero. Care’s inclusion is pleasing.

Cipriani accepted his non-selection, tweeting a long message that said he was grateful for the time he had been given to prove himself, emphasising the good communication he had enjoyed with the coaching staff.

Jamie George secured the last available hooker position alongside Tom Youngs and Rob Webber while Exeter youngster Luke Cowan-Dickie misses out.

Loose forward Jacques Burger from English Premiership club Saracens will skipper outsiders Namibia at the 2015 Rugby World Cup in England.