BEN TE’O is tackling  rugby snobs over the stigma of becoming a cross-code star.

The England hopeful is an old South Sydney team-mate of union flop Sam Burgess, who went back to league after the 2015 World Cup shambles.

They both left Australia at the same time but Te’o managed to crack the code at Leinster — and is now primed for a Test career having toured with England’s heroes in Australia this summer.

Ahead of his Worcester debut against the Premiership and European champions Saracens at Twickenham on Saturday, Te’o says his league roots will only help him.

He said: “If a league player goes to rugby  then  people want to see them fail so they can say ‘I told you rugby is a harder and more intellectual game’ and all that c**p.

“When rugby guys go to league, they say they might not be tough enough.

“But there are a lot of guys who can come back and forth if they want to.

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“I’m proud of where I came from, I achieved a lot in league and I love that game.

“Going to Australia this summer was a really good thing for me, to get into that environment and be around some of the best union players, to see how they trained and the intensity.

“Now I know where the bar is set. I’m not there yet but if I hadn’t gone on that  tour I wouldn’t even have known where the bar was.

“I was training, essentially playing, against the England Test team.”

Tough-tackling Te’o, 29, born in New Zealand to an English mum, has played in the most brutal of grudge matches — Australia’s State of Origin series.

He won three series with Queensland against New South Wales and admitted: “It was  good for me because it teaches you  your limits  and what you can push through.

“In rugby league there is nothing bigger.

“I think Test footie will be close to it.  I don’t think it’s going to be smash, get up, run, smash, do it again.

“But in other areas the physicality will be there — you will have to have your smarts about you.”

And   Red Rose boss Eddie Jones has already started the trash talk ahead of playing South Africa in November — by branding them “bullies”.

England have not beaten the Springboks since 2006.

Jones said: “You know what they are like — they are just bullies. So there’s a big task for the first 23.”

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