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Why Nick Abendanon Award Shows Folly of England’s Selection Policy
Published: May 13, 2015
The former Bath flyer has reveled amid the stars of the French giants, particularly in the Champions Cup.
His display in the competition's knockout stages elevated the full-back to the same status as that other much-talked-about English exile, Steffon Armitage, the man he has deposed as the best player on the continent.
That status is "English, over there and not eligible," as far as the RFU is concerned. And it is a policy that has been losing credibility by the day.
The RFU have blocked Abendanon’s—and Armitage’s—way back to the Red Rose in a bid to stop the bulk of their players crossing the channel by the ferry-load to sign for the high-paying powerhouses in the Top 14. Lose them to France and lose control of their release for England duty.
The salary cap in England will go from £5 million to £5.5 million, per premiershiprugby.com, for next season, with the number of "excluded" players permitted to be employed outside that cap going from one to two as the league tries its darnedest to appease players who know what they would be worth in France.
It may help keep most of the best Englishmen on this side of the channel as long as "play here or don’t play for us" continues to be the message from Twickenham.
Unless, as the world and his wife will be aware, we find ourselves in "exceptional circumstances."
In fact, Gavin Mairs of the Telegraph wrote last month that England will be able to invoke those circumstances to allow Stuart Lancaster to pick both men:
The fact that England are hosting the Rugby World Cup in September and October would almost certainly meet that criteria should Lancaster decide to make a case to the RFU board to include either player ...
Article Source: Bleacher Report - Rugby Union
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