Sam Burgess exit 'another blow' for Stuart Lancaster

So he's gone, and with Sam Burgess almost certainly goes Stuart Lancaster's prospects of remaining England coach.

The announcement on Thursday afternoon that the most famous name in English rugby was heading to Australian rugby league in what The Times claims is "a deal thought to be worth about £700,000" will be devastating news for Lancaster.

Having presided over the most disastrous World Cup campaign in English history, culminating in their failure to reach the quarter-finals, Lancaster was always going to have a fight on his hands to retain his position. The departure of Burgess to rejoin the South Sydney Rabbitohs means his position is all but untenable.

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How could the RFU, who are undertaking its review into the World Cup debacle, possibly keep faith with a coach who staked so much on bringing Burgess to rugby union 371 days ago? The 26-year-old was a legend in League, but League isn't union, and it was always stretching the bounds of credibility – in the eyes of most seasoned observers, at least – that Burgess would be World Cup ready within the year.

Nonetheless he was selected in the 31-man squad at the expense of the experienced Luther Burrell but it was a decision that proved deeply flawed. As the great Ireland and Lions centre, Gordon Darcy, commented during the tournament that Burgess's "naivety embarrassed those around him".

Rumours started to gather pace last month that Burgess wanted to return to Australia and link up once more with his twin brothers, Tom and George, who also play for the Rabbitohs. Burgess's older brother, Luke, plays for Manly Sea Eagles, while his mother is a teacher Down Under. In addition Burgess is marrying Phoebe, his Australian fiancée, next month. "I want to thank everyone at England and Bath for some great memories over the last 12 months," Burgess said in his farewell statement. "I must also thank Bath, especially for granting my release to return home to my family, who I have missed more than I could have imagined. I am also extremely excited to be joining back up with South Sydney. I had a wonderful time in England and learnt a lot about the game of rugby union as both a back and a forward, and I have definitely developed as an all-round player and athlete after that."

The reality, however, is that many at Bath will feel let down by Burgess, who signed a three-year deal with the club last autumn. He was believed to be on a £400,000-a-year contract, and Bath coach Mike Ford told the BBC last week that he was confident his star name would stay. Yet according to the Times Burgess's "relationship with Mike Ford, the head coach, has broken down" and he was also unhappy with the inability of Bath and England to agree whether he should play in the centre (his England position) or in the back-row (his club position).

While Ford may be seething, and Lancaster despairing, one of Burgess's former England rugby league teammates, Jon Wilkin, exclaimed: "I am thrilled we have a fantastic athlete back in our game.

But the fact remains that many in union feel aggrieved by the manner of his departure. As the Times commented, its speed "has raised questions over his true intentions in rugby union — did he realise it would take too long to master or was he only ever planning to play in the World Cup?"