IN normal circumstances Wales would be licking their lips at the prospect of locking horns at the World Cup with a novice who has been playing rugby union for under a year and has even less experience in midfield.

But given that that bloke is Sam Burgess, a proven big-match beast, these are not normal circumstances.

The 26-year-old rugby league star is poised to line up at inside centre against France at Twickenham in a fortnight's time, making his Test debut in midfield despite playing blindside for Bath last season.

Burgess has reportedly made a huge impression at the World Cup hosts' training camp in Denver and it increasingly looks like he could make the final 31.

While the Yorkshireman is likely to have to wait in line behind Brad Barritt and Jonathan Joseph, it's not impossible that he could feature against Wales.

Opponents will want to exploit his naivety and rawness yet 'Slammin' Sam' could be proof that character and mental toughness are more important than experience on the Test scene.

There are countless examples of quality players whose talent has not transferred to the big stage but Burgess already has that ticked off.

He has big-match experience in both codes, man of the match last October when helping South Sydney Rabbitohs win the NRL Grand final despite breaking his cheekbone in the first minute and featuring for Bath when beaten by Saracens in the Aviva Premiership final in May.

And he has been a host nation at a World Cup with England in 2013 when suffering semi-final heartbreak after the Kiwis scored at the death to snatch victory at a packed Wembley.

Burgess is undoubtedly green but is a class individual; he may not have 15-man experience but, unlike, for example, Newport Gwent Dragons World Cup hopefuls Hallam Amos, Jack Dixon and Tyler Morgan, can tap into plenty of memories that help on the big stage.

Rugby union acts may not yet be habit for Burgess but he certainly won't go to pieces if called upon at Twickenham in September and October and his raw qualities mean opponents will be fearful as well as being hopeful of exploiting a few chinks in his armour.

Burgess or Billy Twelvetrees? Wales and the Wallabies may well be hoping for the latter.

LAST weekend provided more evidence that making it out of the 'group of death' in the World Cup in second place carries a prize of doom.

Much of the pre-tournament talk has been about Wales, England and Australia avoiding coming a cropper in a Pool A that also contains dangerous Fiji.

Such is the jeopardy and predicted tightness that it's worth looking up the tiebreakers – teams that finish level on points will be separated by the winner of the group match between them, then points difference.

That's bad news for Uruguay given that it's not impossible that Warren Gatland's men, the hosts and the Wallabies could all enjoy a win and taste a defeat in their little triangular tournament – the pedal will be kept to the floor in the fixtures against the whipping boys.

But if the Pool A candidates have big ambitions of being within 80 minutes of glory on Saturday, October 31 then they desperately need to claim top spot, let alone sneak into a welcome second that avoids the ignominy of an early exit along with the likes Romania, Namibia, USA and Japan.

The prize for being runners-up is set to be a last-eight encounter with South Africa and a shock win against the Springboks earns a semi against the All Blacks.

The pair played another cracker at Ellis Park – it'll never be Emirates Airline Park – last weekend to emphasise that they are the best two on the planet.

The Boks should be sitting on top of the Rugby Championship with a perfect record but took the foot off the gas when edged out by the Aussies and then let the All Blacks off the hook in Johannesburg, two events unlikely to have happened if the World Cup wasn't on the horizon.

However, New Zealand showed that it will take something pretty special to stop them winning back-to-back crowns by triumphing in an extremely tough venue by combining class, guts and brilliant invention for a cunning winning try from a lineout by Richie McCaw at the death.

Simply making it out of Pool A alive isn't enough.