Steffon Armitage and Nick Abendanon appeared to blacklist themselves in the eyes of the RFU, by choosing to make their career in the Top 14. In the aftermath of the 2011 World Cup, England decided to insist on a policy of picking only home based players to prevent the exodus to France.
The criteria did allow for overseas players to be picked in 'exceptional circumstances'. The World Cup was not deemed exceptional enough and thus Armitage and Abendanon were left at home, despite the latter being named European Player of the Year.
On BT Sport, Abendanon lashed out at English players who opposed his inclusion on the grounds that it would unsettle the squad, labelling their stance 'pathetic'.
To hear some players say, "Ah we shouldn't pick international players because it will unsettle the squad", I mean that to me is pathetic, that should be something that would motivate you even more to want to keep your place.
In an interview with Rugbyworld.com, Armitage heartily agreed with the take of his fellow exile, saying he found it 'pretty insulting' that men he had played against would believe him a distraction.
Definitely. I know them, played against them, and to hear them say we’d be a distraction if selected was pretty insulting.
At the end of the day all we wanted to do was make the team better and I just think it was wrong for players to say what they did. We could have learnt from each other and created more rivalry for places.
Not only that, but elsewhere in the interview, Armitage heaped fellow back rower Chris Robshaw, England's now greatly maligned captain, with very faint praise indeed.
He is unwilling to say that Robshaw is a world class seven.
I do feel sorry for him because I think he needed some rivalry (in the England squad) to push him on. Whether he’s a world-class seven or not, I can’t judge that, but he always works as hard as he can and gives everything on the pitch.
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