The suburban ground with students as his teammates was about as far removed as you can get from basking in South Sydney grand final glory with a busted cheekbone at a packed ANZ Stadium.

But the man who has overseen Burgess' 11-month transition says the low-key start was the making of a future rugby star who will line up for England in the World Cup opener against Fiji on Friday (Saturday 5am AEST).

"He was anxious to play after recovering from his broken jaw [from the NRL grand final], so we put him in reserve grade," said Bath coach Mike Ford.

"But it's pretty brutal when you've just played in front of 80,000 and you're now in front of 3000 with kids who are rookies.

"We gave him a test, but that put it to bed and it was obvious he had to be in the first team. That was the start."

Burgess has provided the main storyline for the host nation as they set about winning the World Cup on home soil.

It's unusual for a bench player to attract so much attention, but that comes with the territory of being Sam Burgess.

Critics cast doubt over his selection, including Ireland great Brian O'Driscoll who declared Burgess wasn't ready to be thrust into the World Cup cauldron.

Just 12 months ago Burgess was leading the Rabbitohs' historic premiership charge at the start of the NRL finals and finished as a hero after playing the grand final with a busted cheek.

But Ford, who played for the South Queensland Crushers in 1995, and England coach Stuart Lancaster have been unwavering in their belief that the hard-running "swingman" can terrorise the best teams in the world.

Ford sat down with Fairfax Media at Bath's castle headquarters to detail why Burgess can help England win the World Cup and his plans to develop him as the world's best No. 6.

And he had a warning for the Wallabies: Burgess will be even better when Australia plays England in a pool match on October 4 (October 5 5am AEST).

"He can be sensational, he can be as good as he was in rugby league," Ford said.

"He can have that sort of impact in rugby union. We have a plan that suits his skill set, the more involvement he has the better and better he will get.

"He's already playing for England … every game he will be better. He will be better at the end of the World Cup and he will be even better at the next World Cup in four years. Nothing fazes him."

Ford dismissed rumours that Burgess was planning a swift return to rugby league at the end of the World Cup.

He's planning to turn Burgess into a world class blindside flanker over the next four years to lead England's 2019 World Cup charge.

Burgess' biggest challenge has been finding his place in the team as he adjusts to a new game.

He has played in the centres and the forward pack, alternating between inside centre and No. 6.

England have selected him as a reserve back on the bench for the opening game, but Ford says his future lies in the forward pack where he can have a bigger impact and more involvement in the 15-a-side game.

All English eyes will be on Twickenham when the World Cup campaign begins with a match the home side is expected to easily win against the Flying Fijians.

The mouth-watering matches come when England, Wales and Australia clash later in the pool of death with only two teams to advance to the next stage.

Ford's son, George, will take on England's chief play-making role for the start of the tournament.

And England coach Lancaster said the team was determined not to let a fear of failure "crush" its World Cup aspirations.

England have won seven games in a row at their Twickenham home.

"It's about getting the balance right of home advantage and the power of sport without letting the fear of failure crush you," Lancaster told the BBC.

"As coaches, we have to try to remove that and say enjoy it. These are the best days of your life, what you dream about as a kid.

"[I haven't thought] about the last words [to the team], but it will be something about no regrets. The last thing we want to do is finish this World Cup with any regrets."