It's especially nuts when you consider that the top tier of clubs in England are subject to a salary cap. A top or potentially top English player has to choose between earning a good living for the ten or fifteen years of their playing career or playing for England.
Absolutely - it really isn't reasonable to expect a professional to have to make a choice between earning a decent living at a top club or playing for their country.
And I really don't understand how this helps England - interesting that repeat world champions South Africa only had 17 of their squad of 35 playing for clubs in South Africa. The remainder scattered through clubs in France, Ireland, England and Japan. In doing so I image their players have a broader understanding of the different tactics adopted by different countries and are able to apply them better themselves or defend against them better. By contrast only 4 of the England squad played their club rugby elsewhere (all in France) and the perennial under-achievers Ireland had a squad based exclusively in Irish clubs.
I think there is a lot to be said for having an international team containing players with experience of playing at club level in a range of different countries.
