Maverick1987
First XV
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Fair enough Jim, in that it does seem to be the French teams that do this more than others. However, if PRL get their way, then IMO we will see English club rugby heading more towards what happens in the EPL, where sometimes "spot the Englishman" is no easy task. IIRC, the 2013/14 EPL season started with only 68 England qualified players; about three per team.
I'd have no objection to one or two "marquee" players in the Crusaders, but nine foreigners would make them no longer the Crusaders in my eyes. If I was a Toulon supporter from way back, they would lose me with this ridiculous state of affairs.
It's not the same in England . The first week in the AP there was 70% english players selected in the starting 23 across the board . I saw it because they were comparing AP against the football premier league . Also as someone said above there are extra financial incentives to work with young English players rather than buying in foreigners
Just from a Leicester point of view I'll do our "first team" sheet players in capitals being foreigners
1. AYERZA
2. T. Youngs
3. Cole
4. Deacon/Slater
5. Parling/Kitchener
6. Croft
7. SALVI
8. Crane/Waldrom
9. B. Youngs
10. Flood
11. Thompstone/GONEVA
12. Allen
13. Tuilagi
14. Benjamin
15. Tait
So probably 3 at most in starting lineup although people like Bowden, Mele, stankovic(who is English qualified in his defense) and Hamilton may be in the squad so we do have some more non-English qualified player but to put English clubs in the same bracket as the French clubs would be inaccurate
Also it cannot be 3 per team as that would be 36 players english qualified out of 276 players named in the starting 23 . It would equate to a little over 10% of the players over the weekend . I think you will find it's more like 3 foreign players in each 23
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