Danny Care has questioned England head coach Eddie Jones’ loyalty to players after he was left out of the Rugby World Cup squad.
Care has won 84 England caps, but only one of those has come at a World Cup.
Willi Heinz, who has an English grandmother but was born and raised in New Zealand, was picked ahead of the Harlequins scrum-half.
“Players are just pawns. You look at it and is there much loyalty in it? Maybe not,” he told Rugby Union Weekly.
“Some are given an easier route than those who worked a fair bit harder.
“I started playing rugby at five in England, dreamed of playing for my country in a World Cup,” continued Care.
“You do all the hard work, you stay in England, don’t look to play for a club abroad to make more money because you want to play for England and win a World Cup – now that is not going to happen.
“A lot of players who have done well for whatever country and it comes to the World Cup, the pinnacle, where you hope that loyalty and hard work is paid back and it is taken away from you. That is the disappointment. That is why is hurts so much.”