Burgess: Business as usual
George Burgess is confident England will be able to cope without his big brother when they continue their World Cup bid against Ireland in Huddersfield on Saturday afternoon.
Sam Burgess will sit out the second group A match after being handed a one-match ban for a high tackle in England's opening 28-20 defeat by Australia.
But coach Steve McNamara is able to bring in Wigan loose forward Sean O'Loughlin as well as former St Helens prop James Graham and George Burgess says that illustrates England's strength in depth.
"He's a big part of our team and we'll definitely miss him but we've got other players like Sean O'Loughlin," he said.
"We've got a great squad, with a lot of depth. We'll go about our business as usual."
Dewsbury-born George, along with his twin brother Tom, has kept his place in McNamara's 19-man squad after making his debut at the Millennium Stadium and he is looking forward to running out at the John Smith's Stadium for the first time.
Unlike Tom, George never played in Super League before making the move to South Sydney and says he received more than a hundred requests for match tickets.
"It will be great to be back in Yorkshire, playing in front of lot of people I know," he said. "I will have a lot of family and friends there.
"I don't have enough tickets to go around. It's a sell-out and I'm struggling a bit there. I've lost count over how many tickets I've been asked for, it's over a hundred."
A couple of notable absentees from the Burgess entourage will be oldest brother Luke, who never made the squad, and mother Julie, who is working as a teacher in Sydney having emigrated last December to join her sons down under but avidly watched the twins' debuts on television.
"She loved the game, even though we lost," George said. "She just enjoyed watching us run out. She stayed up to watch it. Everyone else fell asleep but she was very excited and said she couldn't get to sleep afterwards, she was that pumped.
"It was good to get my first cap. It was always my goal to make my way into the England side, I probably didn't think I'd do it this quick, but it's going well.
"To get out there with my brothers to sing the national anthem was a great feeling. I just can't wait to do it in a winning side."
England 19-man squad: C Ablett (Leeds), T Briscoe (Hull), G Burgess (South Sydney), T Burgess (South Sydney), R Burrow (Leeds), R Chase (Castleford), L Cudjoe (Huddersfield), L Farrell (Wigan), B Ferres (Huddersfield), J Graham (Canterbury Bulldogs), R Hall (Leeds), C Hill (Warrington), S O'Loughlin (Wigan), J Roby (St Helens), K Sinfield (Leeds, capt), S Tomkins (Wigan), K Watkins (Leeds), B Westwood (Warrington), G Widdop (Melbourne Storm).
