England. To dispute. They start the new year with bronze medals around their necks. No one from the Six Nations has managed to get anything tangible out of the Rugby World Cup. As a success, it doesn’t need much scrutiny, given the controversial draw they benefited from, but these games still needed to be won. And England’s only defeat was by a single point against the eventual champions, in a game no one would have complained about if they had won.
In his first media session of the year, Steve Borthwick trumpeted his achievements and the foundation for the future it represents. The head coach also rightly heralded the English clubs’ performances in the first two rounds of Europe before Christmas. The next few weeks will provide more resources for thinking on this front.
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The situation is very rosy so far, but one doesn’t need to scratch the surface too far to reveal ongoing vulnerabilities in the system. An annual audit of potential candidates reveals the usual pros and cons; The propeller is especially causing a headache this time. Three stragglers in the World Cup squad are also in doubt as a Six Nations starter and Bevan Rodd has ruled them all out.
But it is those that are missing due to reasons other than injury that indicate deeper cracks. Four of England’s World Cup squad will not be able to participate in the championship because they play for French clubs. And then there’s captain Owen Farrell, who doesn’t want to play.
These issues are affecting international rugby, literally. France’s captain will not play either. Antoine Dupont chose to join the France sevens team preparing for the Paris Olympics. Farrell’s reasons for quitting – and we don’t know whether he will return to the England team or simply stay at Saracens – are less clear, but those of us who care less about telling the truth can present them with reasonable confidence under the “reasonable confidence” category. “More trouble than it’s worth”.
The value of things is likely to feature heavily in upcoming discussions about the England squad. The latest eight-year agreement between the union, clubs and players expires this summer and negotiations between all parties are continuing in earnest. Under current terms, England players are paid £23,000 per match; Under the improved elite squad arrangement being mooted, a pre-selected group of 25 players will be paid £150,000 each. That might mean some security for a select few, but for those used to playing England games all season long it looks like a pay cut.
Lewis Ludlam is said to have signed a contract with Toulon, meaning the fifth member of the World Cup squad will leave the England game and the England squad will leave with him. About the eligibility criteria, Borthwick said: “The rules are very clear that it’s players of British descent.”
“We have to create a system where players want to stay in England. And they want to play for England because the experience they get of playing for England is exciting and enjoyable. I hope the guys abroad will come back. They know I want them back. Joe Marchant knows I want him to come back.”
Borthwick also revealed that he went to Paris to persuade Henry Arundell to return to England and was rebuffed. It is understood Arundell wants to play in the next World Cup. To that end, he told Borthwick he would return the previous season. Let’s see.
English rugby is not used to this. There are numerous other unions, and it is interesting to watch over the years how each has tried, and largely failed, to resist the withdrawal of its best players to more lucrative home markets. England have retained the “exceptional circumstances” clause regarding the eligibility of those playing abroad, but it looks like they will soon have to start fleshing this out to include strange qualifications such as Australia’s infamous “Giteau law” or Wales’ even more complex “laws”. Gatland’s law”.
Now that mighty England are beginning to feel the pressure from more commercially powerful players across the Channel (and the Japanese market will not weaken any further), the international game as a whole may have to consider its position in the rugby landscape. Except perhaps for cricket (and even that is changing), rugby union is the only sport commercially driven by international play. After nearly three decades as a pro, that may be starting to change.
Most sports are driven by their local games, which form the basis of their action each week. Any international element is an occasional treat.
It is difficult to imagine at the moment how this will play out, with English clubs going bankrupt and the French increasingly aggressively flexing their muscles. We can be sure that the finances of more than one union are also under pressure.
Borthwick’s words about making England an attractive place for its best players to return to sounded noble and hopeful. But in the end, the numbers reach all of us. Watching England battle for all those bronze medals is as fascinating as it is disturbing for those clinging to old traditions.