Steve Borthwick has said he wants license to pick the strongest England team possible amid fears that an exodus of players heading abroad after the World Cup will weaken his hand. The Rugby Football Union’s strict criteria currently stops Borthwick from selecting players based outside England but with cash-strapped Premiership clubs unable to compete with overseas rivals, powerbrokers are under pressure to change that policy as part of an overhaul to the domestic game.
Luke Cowan-Dickie, Sam Simmonds, Joe Marchant and David Ribbans have all agreed moves to France after the World Cup while Jack Willis is on a short-term deal with Toulouse and only currently available for England after the RFU granted temporary dispensation to players who lost their jobs at Wasps or Worcester.
