The current salary cap means that premiership sides have no chance of competing in the Champions or Challenge Cup.

It is clear that only Saracens, who are suspected of breaking the cap, have any chance of winning this weekend.

Sorry, I am just haring something in my ear.

Apparently, eight of the ten English sides won, with only Saracens and Newcastle losing.

With Saints, Quins and Gloucester (Challenge Cup) winning away in Glasgow, Paris and Tbilisi.

Mr William Sweeny sits smugly bin his chair. Sipping Whiskey. Thinks of the shambles he is running and feels justified this weekend.

So sad.

Why is the RFU’s sole purpose to protect the Premiership, when it doesn’t stop all the imports from coming as marquee players!

He can't play for France now he's been capped by England.  The three-year rule only applies to switching to play for the country of birth.

That old excuse to explain poor coaching and game plans. 

That's all good, isnt it? And the Fijians, Argentinians.

It means whatever English players are playing are at a higher level than they would otherwise be. The 2 best teams are Sale and Saracens and most of their props are English. Behind them are Leicester and Northampton - the same.

Whatever props you are talking about at these Premiership clubs they are not performing at International level. So I would have thought get rid of these Old props coming over here from other countries for their pension and let young lads from Championship and Nat 1 get a chance. Ireland do not let Provinces sign players from overseas if it would hinder homegrown players progress 

This is what happens anyway, isn't it?

The budget cap encourages more English players. And clubs are paid for their england internationals.

And these hybrid contracts will reinforce this.

Saracens have 4 imported international props Ricciono(Italy), Hoskins (Australia), Mawi (Fiji), Munipola (Samoa).

Scrummaging was identified as a weakness prior to the 2019 World Cup so the RFU have finally appointed a prop-hunter, Nathan Catt (Bath) - so that should give us 10 years without any wise heads. Cole and Marler will have to defer retirement to keep the scrum propped!

"Harlequins prop Joe Marler's arm injury is being assessed by specialists amid front-row concerns for England ahead of the Six Nations.

You're got Italy first and then us (Wales).

Props won't matter until Scotland in late Feb.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/rugby-union/67874917" rel="nofollow - Mako's on the naughty step and should be back for the Six Nations.

Saracens and England prop Mako Vunipola has been banned for four games following his red card in the Premiership game against Newcastle. The 32-year-old was sent off for a dangerous tackle on Falcons hooker Bryan Byrne in Saturday's 37-19 win. Vunipola admitted foul play but said it did not meet the red card threshold. An independent disciplinary panel upheld the sending-off and imposed the ban, which will see Vunipola return in time for the Six Nations. Vunipola will miss Saracens' games in the Premiership against Leicester Tigers and Exeter Chiefs, either side of their Investec Champions Cup matches at Bordeaux-Begles and at home to Lyon. However, he will be available for England's Six Nations opener against Italy in Rome on 3 February if selected by head coach Steve Borthwick, whose three World Cup squad loosehead props Ellis Genge, Joe Marler and Bevan Rodd are currently injured. Vunipola was ineligible to take part in World Rugby's coaching intervention programme, which could have seen his ban reduced by one game, having completed it previously in 2022.

The point is that England are already short of props due to non-EQP players in Premiership squads so it won't take much to bring the front row to its knees, pun intended