As regards Steffon Armitage, there are two perspectives to consider, playing and political.
On the playing front, the only spot SA could challenge for a spot in the England team would be at 7. He is not a strong enough ball-carrier for 8 and one of England's two main lineout operators plays in the 6 jersey, an area in which SA is a non-factor. So it comes down to a straight choice between SA and the current England captain Chris Robshaw. While Armitage is undoubtedly better than CR on the ground, the main questionmark [apart from SA's lack of lineout ability] would be his work rate - his ability to be effective in a much faster game. Saturday's match was slow and played on a gluepot pitch, very much to Toulon's liking. Test matches are far, far quicker than that and it would be useful to see if SA could handle one of England semi-opposed practices aerobically.
The other perspective is political. The RFU and the clubs have spent most of the last 5 years building a situation where 71% of the players in the AP are now England qualified, and most clubs have thriving academies are beginning to churn out a stream of good young English talent. Good English players have 99% of the time stayed in England to play their rugby, and the AP and the England national side has been all the better for it.
The selection of players plying their trade outside England would put a stop to all that. It would open up the top players to lucrative offers from France especially. It would both arrest their development as players - can anyone name one player who has actually improved by playing in the Top 14?? - give them inferior back-up [coaching and facilities] and encourage the English club owners to spend money on foreign imports to replace the top English players leaving these shores. Is that we want - all for the sake of Steffon Armitage??
For sure, guys like Boudjellal will say anything they can to prise open the market in England - and let's be honest he's just using Armitage as a pawn in his game. But ultimately, he doesn't give a flying frig about the effects on the game in England as long as Toulon are alright. In the final analysis he wants a European club champions league to be accepted as the apex of our game, not international rugby. It's not in my opinion an aim which we should be helping him achieve by selecting overseas-based English players. Let SA come to England and prove himself in the AP in time for 2015!
