Former rugby league star Sam Burgess will make his England debut in the 15-man code in a Rugby World Cup warm-up match against France on Saturday.
Ten months after his high-profile cross-code switch, Burgess will play his first game for his country at inside centre — despite making a bigger impression at flanker in his half-season with club side Bath.
Burgess is one of three uncapped players — along with fellow centre Henry Slade and flanker Calum Clark — selected in a team filled largely with reserves looking to stake their claim for a place in England's final 31-man squad for the World Cup.
"We will see if Sam can translate what he's done in training, which is clearly good otherwise I wouldn't have taken this chance to look at him against France," Lancaster said of a player seen as England's answer to New Zealand cross-code star Sonny Bill Williams.
"I'm open-minded about what Sam can do - this isn't the team that's going to play against Fiji in our first World Cup game, this is the team to look at options. We need a balance in our backline, a balance of ball players, carriers and finishers. Sam ticks the ball carrier box."
No. 8 Ben Morgan is back from a broken leg for his first England appearance in 2015, while Tom Wood will captain the team in Chris Robshaw's absence.
Of the starting lineup, only winger Anthony Watson was a first-choice starter in this year's Six Nations.
After months of debate, Lancaster will finally learn whether his faith in Burgess has been worth it.
The 26-year-old Burgess is only under consideration as a centre option, not at flanker. There are five other centres in England's enlarged training squad and Burgess would be a gamble to make the cut on Aug. 31.
This is likely to be Burgess' only start before that date. England plays France away on Aug. 22 before its build-up program is completed with a match against Ireland on Sept. 5.
"We are going out to win the game and we will play with positive intent, a high tempo game," Lancaster said.
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Team: Alex Goode, Anthony Watson, Henry Slade, Sam Burgess, Jonny May, Owen Farrell, Richard Wigglesworth; Mako Vunipola, Rob Webber, Kieran Brookes, George Kruis, Geoff Parling, Tom Wood (captain), Calum Clark, Ben Morgan. Reserves: Luke Cowan-Dickie, Alex Corbisiero, David Wilson, Dave Attwood, James Haskell, Danny Care, Danny Cipriani, Billy Twelvetrees.
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