THE surprise appointment of Phil de Glanville as the new England captain could bring about a speedy resolution of the long-running dispute between the top clubs and the English Rugby Football Union (RFU).
The Bath centre wants his England team-mates to sign contracts with the RFU as soon as possible - which in turn would force the players' employers, the clubs, to negotiate a working agreement with Twickenham on a range of related matters.
"We want a reconciliation between the two sides as swiftly as possible," said de Glanville within minutes of his appointment being announced at Twickenham yesterday.
"Rugby has been facing a crazy situation this season and we need to sit down and hammer out a deal with EPRUC (English Professional Rugby Union Clubs Ltd). I would like a contract for the players to be drawn up that every one in the England squad can accept."
De Glanville, who is 28 and has 16 caps, promised that under his leadership England would play a progressive, 15-man game of the type that has been seen frequently in this season's Courage League and European Cup games.
Though his appointment is for one season in the first instance, the England coach Jack Rowell made it clear that, subject to fitness and form, he expected the skipper to lead England into the 1999 World Cup.
"We've had eight months to think about it since Will Carling resigned, and there were several outstanding candidates for the job," admitted Rowell. "The man we appointed had to be good enough to hold his place as well as possessing leadership qualities. Phil has the ability to take England forward in a fiercely challenging environment."
De Glanville, who was educated at Bryantston and Oxford, where he was awarded a Blue in 1989, was chosen from a strong field that included Lawrence Dallaglio, Jason Leonard, Ben Clarke and Tim Rodber. Last season he skippered Bath to the league band Cup double, having made his reputation as a creative centre in the early 1990s when Rowell was still the Bath coach.
"I've been a member of the England squad for four or five years, so it should be relatively easy to work with the players as captain," said de Glanville, who was first capped as a replacement against South Africa in 1992.
"I've known Jack for a long time and we can be straight with each other. I expect a creative relationship to continue between the two of us."
De Glanville said he hoped to remain in his part-time job as a marketing consultant with Druid System Limited, a computer company in Chertsey. "But nobody can contend that being England captain will not change my life,"
he acknowledged.
"My wife (Yolanda) will help me keep my feet on the ground. I feel confident about taking England into the next World Cup, but at the moment I'm not looking beyond the next three games we have before Christmas.
It remains to be seen whether the England team to play Italy on November 23rd - which will be announced today - includes Will Carling or Jeremy Guscott as de Glanville's midfield partner. Conspiracy theorists will argue that promoting de Glanville makes it relatively simple for Rowell to get rid of Carling, who in any case has played most of his club rugby for Harlequins this season at outside-half.
Certainly Guscott, who has been in excellent form for Bath, would have reason to feel aggrieved if he were left out, though neither he nor Carling are likely to be in contention for a place in England's next World Cup side.
"We've already changed quite a number of players and there are several younger men, such as Greenstock and Greenwood, coming through," said Rowell, when asked about Carling's future.
No doubt Rowell will be accused of creating his own comfort zone by appointing a familiar personality like de Glanville, who shared in numerous domestic triumphs under his old mentor.
Certainly the Bath centre will not embarrass Rowell or rock the boat, at last publicly, but he is nothing if not his own man: de Glanville must take much of the credit for holding the Bath squad together with great skill when senior players were tempted to follow Ben Clarke and leave the club for big money elsewhere.
The key question though is whether de Glanville, a forceful three-quarter who is equally good in attack and defence, can transfer his concept of an expansive game from Bath to England without the influential assistance of coach Brian Ashton.
The next logical step for Rowell would be to appoint Ashton to the England coaching staff. Such a step really would be perceived as putting the Bath mafia in full control.
Scottish Rugby Union chief executive Bill Hogg is to seek an immediate general resolution on the club v country row which has again resurfaced.
Hogg has admitted his delight at the postponement of the league clash between Newcastle and Rotherham, allowing Doddie Weir and Gary Armstrong to play for Scotland against Australia this Saturday.
However, he admitted: "This was a one-off decision. What we want is a general principle recognising a country will have first call on players.
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