Wasps turn to foreign stars as England call-ups take a toll

In doing so, they aim to emulate Leicester, who caved in to the demands of professional club rugby a couple of seasons ago and whose big-name foreign acquisitions earned them a domestic double last season.

While the Tigers are homing in on another major foreign signing — South Africa's World Cup-winning forward Danie Rossouw — defending Heineken champions Wasps languish in mid-table of the Guinness Premiership.

They are facing a struggle to secure a top six place and qualify for next season's Heineken Cup, let alone making a top four play-off place which would give them a chance of winning the league.

With 14 current or recent England players in the Wasps squad and only three foreign players — retired French captain Raphael Ibanez, Irish scrum-half Eoin Reddan and Samoan flanker Dan Leo — the Wycombe club lost key players such as England captain Phil Vickery, club captain Lawrence Dallaglio, Josh Lewsey, Joe Worsley, Simon Shaw, Paul Sackey and Tom Rees to the World Cup.

Although Dallaglio has since retired from Test rugby and Lewsey has been dropped for the current RBS Six Nations, new stars James Haskell and Danny Cipriani can now be added to the list, as well as prop Tim Payne, as England head to the Stade de France next Saturday night for a mustwin game.

"We give everything to England and receive nothing back," said former England captain Dallaglio. "Leicester did the same but they've changed their policy now and we will have to follow them."

Wasps chief executive Tony Copsey fears his club could face relegation next season without a foreign selection drive.

"There doesn't seem to be much light at the end of the tunnel," said Copsey, the former Wales international lock forward.

"This year it's been the World Cup and the Six Nations. Next year it's the autumn internationals, the Six Nations and the new RFU/ Premier Rugby deal, which means we'll lose our England stars for nearly half the Premiership games. Then the following season, added to all this, we've got a Lions tour.

"We have always had a deliberate English policy and we are very proud of the service we have provided to English rugby, but we cannot carry on like this.

"The bottom line is that next season, without most of our star players for so much of the time and already with the smallest squad in the whole division, we could be facing a relegation battle unless we do something about it.

"People may think a team like Wasps will never find themselves in such a situation but I'm serious. It's a very big concern for us all.

"So next season our recruitment policy will change. We're going to have to look at a number of foreign players and recruit them. It's either that or we face season after season of struggle."

Wasps director of rugby Ian McGeechan was known to be furious when he discovered his team's home league game against Sale, postponed because of EDF Cup semi-final commitments next month, had been re-scheduled for last Sunday, when most of his team were unavailable due to the Six Nations.

The fact that the game was postponed on the day because the Adams Park pitch was frozen failed to improve his mood.

While recruiting foreign players may suit Wasps, the fear within the English game is that the national team will end up with fewer top-class players playing regularly in the Premiership.

Leicester, who have also suffered from providing so many players to England's cause, have in recent years signed the likes of Argentinian prop Marcos Ayerza, Italian front-row men Martin Castrogiovanni and Alex Moreno, All Black centre Aaron Mauger, Fijian centre Seru Rabeni and Springbok lock Marco Wentzel.

Now they are in talks with Rossouw, the man who broke English hearts in Paris last October when his last-ditch tackle did enough to force Mark Cueto's foot into touch and deny the winger a try that could have transformed a tight World Cup Final.

Leicester are looking for a utility back-five player for next season, especially as locks Ben Kay and Louis Deacon and back-row forwards Lewis Moody, Tom Croft and Jordan Crane all look set for more England duty.

Rossouw, 29 and with 31 caps and six tries to his name, could well be swapping the Bulls in South Africa for Welford Road next season if terms are agreed and would therefore be available for Leicester throughout the autumn internationals, Six Nations and on England training days.

One hundred miles down the motorway, the disgruntled Wasps have finally taken note.