System ‘tougher for French, English’

France head coach Philippe Saint-Andre believes he and English counterpart Stuart Lancaster have a much tougher job than their rival RBS 6 Nations bosses and cited Ireland’s centrally contracted players as his primary evidence.

The IRFU’s player welfare management programme, which limits its contracted players’ game minutes with their provinces for the benefit of the national team, has been emulated by Scotland and to an extent by Wales, which is signing players on dual contracts in conjunction with its regions.

It makes their national coaches Joe Schmidt, Vern Cotter and Warren Gatland the envy of the French and English where the clubs own player registrations and dictate the terms of their release to the unions.