According to Simon Massie-Taylor, the CEO of Premiership Rugby, the rule prohibiting Steve Borthwick from selecting England players based abroad will continue to be enforced in the next agreement governing the domestic game.
Massie-Taylor emphasizes that both Premiership clubs and the RFU are not interested in relaxing the regulation, which serves the dual purpose of retaining the country's top talents and enabling the England head coach to exercise greater authority over his players.
“Having our English players playing within the Premiership is important for England and for the Premiership,” Massie-Taylor told the PA news agency at an event for Funding Circle.
“From the RFU’s, ours and even the players’ perspective we all see the importance of England internationals playing domestically.
“Provisions exist for exceptional circumstances that will probably still carry on going forward, but we all agree England international players should be playing in the Premiership.
"There will always be an international market for players and players have that choice to go abroad and not play for England.”
Sam Warburton's 2023 Lions XV
Back-three:
Hugo Keenan (Ireland)
Mack Hansen (Ireland)
Warburton on Hansen: "I’m thinking between (Anthony) Watson/(Mack) Hansen and would probably have to go with Hansen, he has got a bit more form."
Duhan van der Merwe (Scotland)
Centres:
Garry Ringrose (Ireland)
Warburton on Ringrose: " I really like him. He has got proper gas but defensively at 13, I have been watching quite closely and we are seeing so many teams that run that frontline runner and back option and loads of people are just getting sucked in on that front one which opens up the space in the back."
Sione Tuipulotu (Scotland)
Halfbacks:
Johnny Sexton (Ireland)
Jamison Gibson-Park (Ireland)
Warburton on Gibson-Park: "“My nine, I’d have to go with (Jamison) Gibson-Park. He only played one game but when he is up and running, he would be the nine."
Front-row:
Pierre Schoeman (Scotland)
Dan Sheehan (Ireland)
Tadhg Furlong (Ireland)
Second-row:
James Ryan (Ireland)
Ollie Chessum (England)
Warburton on Chessum: "Very mobile, athletic, aggressive, good lineout operator, works really hard in defence, not just from a tackle perspective but at the ruck as well trying to be a nuisance with counter rucking.
“I just thought he looked very comfortable at Test level, I just thought he looked very good. All the England players had a hiccup against France but take that game out of it, I thought he had an excellent campaign."
Back-row:
Courtney Lawes (England)
Josh van der Flier (Ireland)
Caelan Doris (Ireland)
