Fitzpatrick echoes Henry

Like All Black coach Graham Henry, former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick believes England are beginning to count the cost of having too many overseas players in the Guinness Premiership.

Like All Black coachGraham Henry, former New Zealand captain Sean Fitzpatrick believes England are beginning to count the cost of having too many overseas players in the Guinness Premiership.

English club rugby has attracted some of the biggest names in the sport over the last few seasons – and the product has been enhanced by the arrival of expensive All Blacks such as Luke McAlister, Nick Evans, Chris Jack and Carl Hayman.

The crowds are rising year on year – but as much as Fitzpatrick enjoys watching the Premiership action, he has questioned whether the number of foreigners in England is having a negative impact on the national team.

“As a punter, I love taking my kids to see the talent on show here every week in the Premiership and the Heineken Cup,” he said.

“If I were an Englishman, though, I'd have my doubts because the overseas talent is causing issues,” added Fitzpatrick.

“The RFU (Rugby Football Union) has to work out what's best for the game. Does it want England to be the number one product or for the Premiership to be the best product? That's the decision that has to be made.”

Earlier this week Henry conveyed a similar opinion.

“When you continue to fill up the Premiership with New Zealanders and the English guys don't get a chance then the national side is going to suffer,” he said.

“The best way is to stop all of the Kiwis coming over.”

England manager Martin Johnson is having to overcome a generation gap as he attempts to build a team capable of reclaiming their place among the world's elite.

For example, England only have three experienced props vying for Test selection – Andrew Sheridan, Phil Vickery and Matt Stevens – while Tim Payne will win his 11th cap this weekend.

Below them, Saxons props Nick Wood, Jason Hobson and David Wilson are all uncapped while rising front-row stars Matt Mullen and Alex Corbisiero are only 21 and 20 respectively.

Meanwhile, nine members of New Zealand's 2007 World Cup squad took up lucrative European club contracts. Hayman, a prop, is reported to be on £350,000 a year at struggling Newcastle.

From a New Zealand perspective, Fitzpatrick believes the NZRU must “open the doors” and allow the All Blacks Head Coach to select players based abroad.

So far, the NZRU have limited themselves to awarding Dan Carter and Richie McCaw the opportunity to cash in with six-month sabbaticals in Europe.

McCaw is not currently interested but Carter, the world's leading fly-half, will pocket around £600,000 for his stint at Perpignan later this month.

“If Carter gets it, why not offer it to Hayman, McAlister and (Aaron) Mauger? I believe it will come to the stage where they'll have to have open the doors in New Zealand,” said Fitzpatrick.

Despite losing a raft of players, the All Blacks head to Twickenham on Saturday one victory away from completing a third Grand Slam tour and their second in three years.

Fitzpatrick expects the All Blacks to win and he was quoted in the New Zealand Herald this week as dismissing England as “terrible”.

But he is a strong believer that if anyone can overcome the hurdles facing English rugby, it is Johnson.

“If it weren't Martin there, then there would be knives out already,” Fitzpatrick said.

“He's held up in a special place. He's already sending out the right messages. He is very thick-skinned and there are not too many Englishmen who could handle that pressure.”

Fitzpatrick backed Danny Cipriani to bounce back from a difficult autumn, which has ended with him being dropped to the bench.

“He's got that X factor, that twinkle in his eye,” said Fitzpatrick.

“You need that confidence, that bit of arrogance like Dan Carter. Cipriani is special. I'm sure he'll be back,”

Fitzpatrick, who captained New Zealand 51 times between 1992 and 1997, did urge Johnson to help under-pressure skipper Steve Borthwick rediscover his best form.

“Johnson needs to be a dictator and take all the pressure off him so that he can get on with playing his best rugby,” he said.

“Steve is giving critics ammunition by maybe not playing to his best.”