England are being held hostage by own rules

IT’S normally Steffon Armitage who triggers it, but this time it is Nick Abendanon’s doing. He played so well for Clermont Auvergne again last weekend that England’s policy against picking players based abroad is back in focus.

For the umpteenth time, the RFU and Stuart Lancaster are being urged to invoke the ‘exceptional circumstances’ get-out clause. There is an assumption in many quarters that, this being a World Cup year, it is time to abandon all principles and do whatever it takes to ensure that every Englishman, wherever he may be, is available for selection.

Well, here’s an alternative suggestion. Scrap the clause. Now. It is proving to be more hassle than it is worth. Lancaster, his assistants and his employers are being stalked by calls for Armitage to be called into the national squad, as befitting his supreme exploits for Toulon. But that is to ignore the coaches’ reservations, and the realisation that the fall-out from a shift in policy would have long-term repercussions.

This is not to decry a quality flanker who has excelled among the Galacticos at his club, but this situation cannot go on. England are being held hostage by their own edict, so why not just ditch the ‘ exceptional’ clause and end the outcry?

Critics of the union’s stance overlook the consequences for the club game in this country if there is no restriction in place. This column concurs with Conor O’Shea, who said: ‘It is pure populism to say it is World Cup year and we should do anything we can because the minute you break that (policy), you break the dam. There are always exceptional circumstances. Then there will be the next one and the next one and the next one.’

Leicester’s England hooker, Tom Youngs added: ‘I don’t know how well it would go down with the team. Stuart has built a culture with this group of players. Does he want to disrupt it?’

Fair point. Tell players they have to stay to be considered, then at the 11th hour perform a U-turn and select exiles; that is a short-cut to unrest, surely? This is no restraint of trade either — those who wish to go abroad can do so freely, but the knock-on effect is clear.

Well, it is reasonably clear. It would be clearer still if the RFU and England really had the courage of their convictions and abolished the clause entirely.