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Rugby

25th Jul 2015

Stuart Lancaster’s stance on not picking foreign-based players deserves a plaque

Trust issues

Patrick McCarry

Raging against the dying of the light.

Fair play to Stuart Lancaster. Not all English rugby fans may agree with that sentiment but they must respect their head coach for backing his current squad.

Lancaster is refusing to select foreign based players for England’s World Cup squad and, on Friday, outlined why.

England will go into the World Cup without Delon Armitage, Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon. The Toulon flanker and Clermont back won European Player of the Year in 2013 and 2014 respectively.

Lancaster and the RFU are wary of calling in players from Top 14 sides as they fear it would spark an exodus to France.

In a fasciniating interview with The Daily Mail, Lancaster stuck to his guns.

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