Steffon Armitage should return to England fold with immediate effect if his move to Bath goes through
- The Toulon flanker has been linked with a move to Bath
- Steffon Armitage must play in England if he is to be considered for the national team
- Bath are yet to agree terms with Toulon over signing Armitage
- Proposed deal is said to be nearly dead in the water
If the Steffon Armitage deal to Bath does go through, I would applaud the RFU and Stuart Lancaster for any part they may have had in making this happen.
It sends out a strong message that, in this World Cup season, England will not compromise. There will be no ‘what-ifs’ or excuses. England will do everything they can to win the World Cup. If you do that, and ultimately there is disappointment because it doesn’t quite work out, there can be no regrets.
Everybody needs to be available and the coaches must select from maximum strength.
Steffon Armitage will be allowed to represent England at the World Cup if he seals a move to Bath
England coach Stuart Lancaster refuses to pick overseas-based players because of RFU policy
As this story has unfolded I found it totally unacceptable that potentially we could have been facing a situation in which Armitage was not only unavailable for England selection but could even line up against them for France in a big World Cup game!
The truth is Armitage may not get picked as an England starter — he is going to find it very tough — but a player of his quality has to be in the squad pushing hard for selection, challenging all the others.
The dynamic in a squad when you have two or three class players pushing for every spot is brilliant, everybody has to step up and find a new level. It also means that coaches and those selecting the team have to really sharpen their pencils and be ruthless.
The England back row is very competitive, make no mistake, and is packed with a number of versatile players, not least the skipper Chris Robshaw. He can play right across the back row while Armitage can play openside or No 8, which is where Toulon often field him. All sorts of options could come into play.
Armitage played in the Premiership for London Irish before upping sticks and moving to France with Toulon
The flanker, pictured here at Twickenham in 2013, wants to return to play for England at international level
Armitage is expected to play in Europe this weekend, meaning he will not move to Bath
Having made the effort to get Armitage back home I see no point in hanging around and insisting on some sort of probation period. This is not the time for niceties.
If the deal goes through by the weekend, I would put him straight into the senior squad which is announced next Wednesday and make sure he gets a certain amount of game time this autumn.
Equally, if Sam Burgess had been available I would have thrown him straight into the action this autumn. Although that can’t happen now I would get him involved with the squad as soon as he is permitted to travel back home after his surgery.
I can only see one downside to Armitage’s return and it is more a matter of long-term principle than a short-term problem. There is absolutely no doubt that he has improved massively since he was last capped by England in 2010 when he was with playing with London Irish. He was a raw talent then, a more than useful player, but he didn’t look like a genuine England back-rower to me.
We should never forget that playing for Toulon has been the making of Armitage. They have found a way of getting him fitter, developing his game and integrating him into the team, so much so that he became the European Cup player of the season.
That is one of the reasons I remain convinced that the ‘free market’ should still be allowed. I see no reason why a player looking to better himself shouldn’t ply his trade an hour away in France and still be eligible for England.
There will also be a certain amount of dislocation if and when Armitage returns, and that’s probably not ideal. But to make such a move shows that his motivation to contest for a World Cup spot must be very high.
- Justin Bieber throws tantrum after Today Show performance
- Teen's Facebook video shows devastating effects of ecstasy
- GoPro cam captures cyclist's terrifying vertical drop
- The moment the crane collapses at Mecca's Grand Mosque
- Toddler heartbroken she doesn't have a boyfriend
- Professor Green breaks down talking about father's death
- GRAPHIC: Footage shows pit-bulls viciously attack man
- Candice Swanepoel takes nasty tumble on Givenchy NYFW runway
- Bride puts a spell on her groom during first dance
- Woman had sex with unconscious man in parking lot
- Strong winds before crane collapses on Grand Mosque of Mecca
- GRAPHIC: Jailhouse beating of terror suspect Carlos Larmond
- Manchester United 3-1 Liverpool Barclays Premier League...
- Manchester United 3-1 Liverpool: Anthony Martial announces...
- Mayweather vs Berto fight LIVE boxing 2015: Round-by-round...
- What a way to go! Flavia Pennetta, 33, wins the US Open in...
- Everton 3-1 Chelsea: Steven Naismith perfect hat-trick piles...
- 'I can pick up the phone and speak to all of my previous...
- Brendan Rodgers blasted by Liverpool legends Jamie Carragher...
- 'I felt my studs sink into his flesh just above the ankle'...
- Chelsea boss Jose Mourinho refuses to blame his 'champions'...
- Atletico Madrid 1-2 Barcelona RESULT: Lionel Messi comes off...
- Arsenal 2-0 Stoke FINAL SCORE: Plus rest of Barclays Premier...
- Everton 3-1 Chelsea Barclays Premier League Result: Steven...